The good Samaritan who heroically jumped on the tracks yesterday to rescue a baby whose stroller rolled into the path of an oncoming train was reunited with the grateful family today.
It was a big day for Delroy Simmonds, 30, who also landed a job after being out of work for a year.
“That’s the little man that got me a job today,” Simmonds said with a smile at 9-month-old Daniel Zamara as he walked into his room at Brookdale Hospital.
“I remember you. Thank you,” said his mother, Maria.
Simmonds asked how the boy was doing.
“He’s doing fine,” the grateful mother said.
“It feels amazing. Just seeing him alive,” said Simmonds. “It’s a miracle.”
“A lot of people at the hospital said ‘thank you’ and ‘congratulations’ and ‘good job’,” said Simmonds. “It’s good to see that it was a life saved instead of a life lost. It makes me feel good. Everyone told me congrats on getting the job too.”
Simmonds was on his way to a job interview yesterday afternoon when he saw little Daniel’s stroller roll onto the tracks at the elevated Van Siclen Avenue station on Fulton Street in Cypress Hills.
Today, Simmonds, who was laid off over a year ago from a job helping kids with learning disabilities, landed a gig as a project employee doing maintenance at ABM Janitorial Services at Kennedy Airport.
When he starts in two weeks, he’ll be making $9.50 an hour.
“All of this happened so fast, I feel like crying,” said Simmonds. “The Lord blessed me. Of all the bad things that have happened to me — something good had to happen. I saved a child and I got a job.I was worried about getting a job, now I’m like ‘wow’.”
His new boss said that Simmonds will have the opportunity to become a supervisor given his qualifications and experience.
“He did really well. He definitely meets all of our qualifications,” said Guy Rodriguez, the project manager who hired him. “He’s got character, he’s humble, he takes pride in his work. He’s got a positive attitude. Everything he is was right there in what he did. He didn’t hesitate.”
“What he did to save that baby, it just shows character. He didn’t hesitate. He’s got a very good attitude,” he said.