Probation officer called a hero for saving boy's life

Martha Corbett, center, was honored this week for the saving the life of a despondent 11-year-old boy.

NORWALK — A probation officer who helped save the life of a young boy in Norwalk earlier this month was honored by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

On Oct. 3, probation officer Martha Corbett, who is a probation liaison with the city of Norwalk, was visiting a local middle school to introduce herself to the school’s administrators.

When she arrived, school officials alerted her that an 11-year-old boy had run away from the school and was standing perilously close to nearby train tracks. Despondent by the fact that his parents were going through a divorce, the boy ran away from school officials and his mother during a parent meeting at the school that day.

School safety officers and administrators tried to help the boy and coax him away from the railroad tracks but he only walked further away from them and onto the tracks. The situation became urgent when the crossing arms of the railroad tracks lowered and Corbett could see the train’s headlights approaching.

Corbett managed to persuade the boy closer to her. Just in time, she quickly grabbed the boy and guided him to safety just moments before the train passed, avoiding what could have been a disaster.

“Her commitment to others in need is a proud example of what our Probation Department stands for,” said L.A. County Board Supervisor Janice Hahn.