That night Bornstein was supposed to help teach a karate class. His wife and kids would be waiting for him at the Grosvenor station at 6:10 p.m. While running down the escalator to the platform, Bornstein noticed a man leaning against a pillar. The man was gasping; his chest was heaving. Bornstein thought the man might need medical assistance. The train was pulling into the station. Bornstein was between the man and the train; the doors opened, and for a split second, he thought about his wife and children waiting to meet him.

Instead, Bornstein approached the man who suddenly collapsed as he reached for him. The man was choking; he entered a seizure-like state. "I checked his air passageway to see if it was clear," says Bornstein. "I couldn't tell if he was even breathing."

Bornstein called to other Metro passengers for help: "Does anyone know CPR? Can someone call an ambulance? This man is crashing!"

People rushed to respond. Concerned passengers surrounded the man. "It was a team effort; everyone from all different backgrounds came together to help this stranger," says Bornstein. Several passengers used their cell phones to call an ambulance. One passenger began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, while another pumped the man's chest. One passenger monitored the man's pulse. Another passenger lifted the man's legs on top of Bornstein's brief case. Bornstein and other passengers massaged the man's legs and arms to keep the blood circulating. And two more passengers controlled the pedestrian traffic around the huddle.

The man was having a massive heart attack and seizure. When Bornstein saw a wedding band on the man's hand, he said to the man: "We're going to get you back to your family." The man widened his eyes; clearly he understood those precious words.

One moment, he had a pulse and then it was gone. The man's heart had stopped.

Bornstein later learned that the passenger who had administered CPR was a Customs agent, and he wanted to put the agent in for an humanitarian award because he administered CPR for nearly 30 minutes-not giving up for one second-but the agent requested anonymity. "Some had declined to give the man mouth-to-mouth resuscitation without a mouth barrier, but this Customs agent was determined to revive the man," explains Bornstein. "The agent did more than his share."

The D.C. fire and rescue paramedics arrived on the scene and took over. "They were professional and fully competent," says Bornstein. "We gave the paramedics a quick update of the situation." The paramedics used the defibrillator a few times, shouting: "Stand clear!" Repeatedly, they sent waves of electric shocks to the man's heart, with no response. They rushed him to the hospital.

"He looked very gray, and I was afraid he might not make it," recalls Bornstein, "but I hoped he would live."

On the wall of Bornstein's cubicle is a copy of a story about the incident that appeared in The Washington Post. When the pressure is on at work, Bornstein looks at the clipping to remind himself "I'm alive and doing well."

Customs salutes Bornstein and the anonymous agent. This story doesn't have a fairy-tale ending, but that doesn't mean that you aren't heroes. You stepped away from your busy lives and took action to help somebody who needed you, a gesture that, in these perilous times, translates into the kind of courage America, and Customs, is depending on.

David Board suffered the fatal heart attack on the Metro that day. He worked as a specialist at the National Museum of American History. He was 42 years old. He is survived by his wife Natalie, and their 5-year-old son Nathan. Mr. Board was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, an organization aimed at helping those in need. Mrs. Board finds great comfort knowing that many people stopped to help her husband and that he did not die alone on the platform.

This tragedy has many lessons, but two are worth mentioning: (1) Learn CPR. You never know when you need to use it for a family member, friend, or stranger. If you are afraid to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, then purchase a mouth barrier. (2) Take time to help someone in need. If someone calls for help, go to him or her. Be the first to respond; others will follow your example.