Conductor stops train, gets out to save turtle stuck on train tracks

Sometimes animals get themselves stuck in places they shouldn’t be, and need a little human help to get them to safety.

So it’s always heartwarming to see people go out of their way to help a creature in need. That was the case recently, when one man stopped a train to save a turtle’s life.

Serhat Topal is a streetcar driver from Turkey. He was on his normal route, when he noticed something out-of-the-ordinary on the tracks: a turtle.

“It was a turtle trying to cross the tracks toward the countryside, but he was stuck,” Serhat told The Dodo. “I think he was scared.”

Then, Serhat did something extraordinary: he stopped the train, got out and went out of his way to help the turtle.

He picked the animal up, saving it from being run over on the tracks by any incoming trains, and lifted it over the fence to safety.

Serhat said the turtle looked healthy, and happily walked away after getting to the other side.

It was the right thing to do — but anyone who has commuted by train knows that passengers don’t always appreciate a sudden delay.

But Turkey is known for its citizens’ love for stray animals, so when Serhat explained the situation to them, they understood: the driver says they were “happy because I helped.”

“All living things are our friends, and we should approach them with love,” Serhat told The Dodo. “Everyone should consider this their duty. I have simply done my duty.”