CCTV catches race to save child's life as cargo train hits brakes (VIDEO)

A life-or-death race to save a child from an oncoming train in southern Russia was caught on CCTV. The railroad security team reached the boy as cargo train slammed on the brakes.

Staring death in the face and unable to move, the three-year-old child is snatched from the train's path by railroad security. The duo had set out earlier than usual on patrol, and were just in time.

One of the rescuers, Arseny Ghazarian told LifeNews that campers from a nearby site often stray onto the tracks.

“The most important thing", he added, "is that the child's life was saved.”

Desperate to save the boy, Ghazarian fell some 20 meters short but says sheer adrenaline carried him on.

“I cursed myself, when I fell – because of me, old fool, a child could have died."

"I never ran so fast in my life," he said. “Can you imagine, no mother, no father, no one was there?"

They had ‘some 130 meters’ to cover but managed to signal the train driver, who slammed on the brakes and blew the horn. 

This may have actually frozen the child with fear, as he stood still and stared at the oncoming train.