The department said it was an example of 'situational awareness' on the part of the conductor.

MARIETTA, Ga. — Marietta Police say the keen eyes and quick thinking of a freight train crew were able to save a life that likely would have otherwise been lost on Friday morning.

The police department was one of multiple emergency agencies to respond to the side of a set of railroad tracks that day after reports of a man was on the tracks. But, because of an alert CSX crewmember on the train, they weren't responding to a tragedy.

"We talk about 'situational awareness' as it relates to you avoiding becoming a victim of crime, but it absolutely applies here as well," Marietta Police said online.

The department said a conductor noticed the person down on the tracks and was able to stop a train that police estimated was roughly a mile long - without hitting the victim.

Police later learned that the man on the tracks, who was homeless, had fallen and was unable to get up. 

"He became hypothermic and, if struck by the swift-moving train, would surely have been killed instantly," the department said in its post about the incident.

Members of Metro Ambulance, Marietta Fire, and Marietta Police walked about a quarter-mile and were able to carry the man to safety. He was then taken to Kennestone Hospital for treatment.

In a statement, CSX commended the "swift actions" of its crews.

"Railroad operations can be dangerous. Fortunately, no one was injured," the company said. "This is an important reminder to stay away from railroad tracks.”

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from CSX.