CCTV shows man faint and fall on to train tracks head-first before hero commuters rescue him

This is the heart-stopping moment a commuter fainted at an Australian subway station and fell off the platform, crashing headfirst into the tracks moments before a train was due to arrive.

The terrifying scene took place at Wynard Station in Sydney on Monday 25 September, shortly before 2pm. The man survived, thanks to the bravery of his fellow travellers.

CCTV footage of the incident shows the man fall towards the edge of the platform as he loses consciousness.

Other passengers recoil in horror as he takes a couple of heavy steps and somersaults into the air before crashing onto the line face first.

A quick-thinking steward in an orange high-vis turned and waved frantically at an approaching train driver – off screen – begging him to pull up short, lest the man get crushed.

Meanwhile, a group of six heroic passengers jumped onto the track and hauled the unconscious man to safety.

"We got an emergency radio call over the two-way radio. Someone had fallen on the track,"said Rob Austin from the Sydney trains network. "In this incident the train pulled up very quickly – just at the end of the platform."

It is believed the man collapsed due to a flu-like illness. Austin said it was important passengers considered their well-being before venturing on to the Sydney underground train system.

"If you're under the weather please consider your fellow passengers. It's obviously a bad flu season and we want to minimise the extent of the flu so just be mindful of that when travelling," he said.

Austin also had a word of warning for any would-be heroes of the future who might be planning a jump on to the tracks to rescue another person or pet.

"We understand it's human nature to want to help someone who has been injured by jumping onto a live track is extremely dangerous," he said. "An injury to one person could very quickly become an injury to more,"

The man escaped with no major injuries or bone breaks. He suffered a cut to the head and some bruising to his shoulder.