NEW JERSEY – A New Jersey transit officer is being hailed as a hero for a dramatic rescue.
Victor Ortiz made a split-second decision that saved a life, but he said it's his job to protect and serve.
The hero cop put his life on the line and saved a man lying on the tracks seconds between life and death.
"I was bracing for the worst, you know, but hoping for the best," Ortiz said. "In my mind I was like, "This is not going happen while I'm here, I'm going do what I can to pull this guy through.'"
[VIDEO: Transit cop rescues man seconds before being hit by train]
Ortiz said it was a struggle since the man is significantly larger than him and wasn't cooperating.
Somehow Ortiz found the strength to pull him off the tracks with no more than two seconds to spare.
"That last pull, had it not worked, we know what would've happened," Ortiz said.
Now, people are calling Ortiz a hero, but he hopes others would do the same.
"Had I just stood there and done nothing I wouldn't be able to bear that thought in my mind," Ortiz said.
A humble and proud cop, Ortiz said the man later apologized and thanked him.
"He goes, 'I didn't mean to do what I did.' and I told him... 'My job is to protect and serve.'" Ortiz said.
The man's identity and condition have not been released.
Ortiz is on a well-deserved, pre-planned vacation.