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Officer Says Training Helped Him Identify Missing Marathoner

By Ben Fractenberg | November 3, 2015 4:29pm
 Officer Man Yam, 43, stands in front of the Chambers Street subway station, where he helped a missing Italian marathon runner off the subway early Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, 2015.
Officer Man Yam, 43, stands in front of the Chambers Street subway station, where he helped a missing Italian marathon runner off the subway early Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, 2015.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Veteran officer Man Yam credits his 18 years on the force with giving him the awareness to identify the missing Italian marathon runner, Gianclaudio Marengo, early Tuesday morning.

Yam, 43, who had worked at the finish line of the marathon on Sunday, was on his way from his home in Merrick, Long Island, to his job at the NYPD recruitment station just north of the World Trade Center Monday when he noticed a man in running gear, who fit the description of the missing runner, sitting across from him on a downtown 2 train.

“Based on my training and observation I do a quick scan of my environment to make sure that everything looks normal,” Yam said. “And at that moment it did not appear to be a normal person that would take a train at 6:40 in the morning.”

 Gianclaudio Marengo, left, was found on the 2 train by Officer Man Yam, right, aboard the 2 train, police said.
Gianclaudio Marengo, left, was found on the 2 train by Officer Man Yam, right, aboard the 2 train, police said.
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NYPD

Yam kept glancing at the man and then checking an article about him to see if he matched the description.

“I [saw] the article on my smartphone regarding there’s an Italian tourist that finished up the marathon that was lost,” the officer said. “So this gentleman sitting across from me it matches [the description].

"Plus on top of that, he had very dried lips, which gave me the indication that possibly he might be the person that we’re looking for, because it seems like with an extended amount of time he hasn’t had anything to eat or drink.”

The off-duty officer then calmly approached the man and though he did not speak Italian was able to communicate through Spanish by saying “policía” that he was an officer.  

“And then his eyes lit up,” Yam said. “Like relief, like somebody actually is going to help me.”

The officer then took him off the train at the Chambers Street station and bought him a coffee and donut.

“And once I bought him some food I was able to open up the app where his article was featured in and I ask him in Spanish, actually, instead of Italian, I say, “tú?” And he nods his head. That’s where I had the moment this is the actually the person that we are looking for.”

Yam then alerted his superior officer from the First Precinct who arrived on scene to take the tourist to the hospital.

Yam said he didn't consider himself a hero, but just someone doing his job.

“As far as I’m concerned this is something that any one of us [officers] would be doing.”