An off-duty Metropolitan Police officer who risked his life to save an injured man on the tracks at Prittlewell Station has been honoured with a London Police Bravery Award.
On the morning of 4 May 2024, PC Dan Burdett was commuting to work through Prittlewell Station in Essex when he spotted a stationary train and two distressed men on the platform. Sensing something was wrong, he approached and discovered a severely injured man lying on the tracks, having been struck by a train.
PC Burdett immediately jumped down onto the live tracks to help. He said:
“I could see his right leg had been taken off at the ankle by the train. He had a massive bleed on his head, and his leg was pumping blood, so my main thought was it was a critical bleed.”
Thinking quickly, he improvised a tourniquet using the shoelace from the injured man’s good foot and a pen he found on the tracks. His resourcefulness helped stop the severe bleeding, buying crucial time before emergency crews could arrive.
“I could now concentrate on the bleed on his head and his breathing,” he added. “He started to have issues with his breathing, so we got a mask from the station staff and just kept him going until we heard the sirens of the ambulance, around five minutes later.”
At the same time, PC Burdett shouted to the station staff to halt the next incoming train, fearing that another disaster could occur if a live service approached.
“I was expecting my train to be hurtling towards me very shortly,” he said. “If the train was going to come, I can’t stay on the tracks, so I’m going to have to leave this poor bloke there and get out of the way.”
Thanks to his quick actions, services were suspended in time. When paramedics arrived, PC Burdett continued assisting by applying a second tourniquet and helping to manage the casualty’s breathing.
Sadly, despite being rushed to hospital and undergoing surgery, the man passed away two days later. British Transport Police later confirmed his death was not being treated as suspicious.
Reflecting on the incident, PC Burdett said:
“I wanted to know that I’d done everything I possibly could with what I had at that time, to keep him alive. The paramedic said: ‘If you hadn’t done what you’d done, he’d have died there and then.’ So at least his family got to say goodbye to him before he died.”
The bravery shown by PC Burdett was recognised at the inaugural London Police Bravery Awards on 3 April 2025, where he was among 13 officers celebrated for their heroic actions. He has also received the bronze medal and Police Medal from the Royal Humane Society.
“I’m humbled that they thought my actions were good enough,” he said. “I was just doing what I was trained to do, but it’s nice to be recognised for trying to save someone’s life.”
Matt Cane, General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, praised him, saying:
“This incident once again shows that police officers are never off duty. Dan’s quick actions and resourcefulness that morning were incredible, when he effectively managed the whole scene, all while putting his own safety at risk by climbing onto the train lines.”
“It was a stressful and upsetting scene and Dan was a credit to the police service. Our thoughts remain with the family of the victim.”
The incident occurred at Prittlewell Station, which operates with limited staffing hours – typically from 6am to 1pm on weekdays and Saturdays – and is unstaffed on Sundays. The absence of full-time staff highlighted just how critical PC Burdett’s intervention was.
In the UK, incidents involving people being struck by trains are sadly not uncommon. According to recent figures, there were 276 suicides or suspected suicides recorded across the overground rail network in 2023/24. Efforts continue across the country to address these tragedies through preventive measures and mental health support.
If you’re struggling with mental health, you can call Samaritans for free day or night, 365 days a year, on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.