Addict hailed hero for jumping on tracks to save man who fainted tragically dies
A woman who was hailed a hero for jumping in front of an oncoming train to save a stranger's life was a "beautiful soul", her long-term partner said, after her death aged 33.
Ashley Montabello leapt onto the tracks at Sydney's Redfern Station last April after a 57-year-old man fainted and fell from the platform.
The heart-stopping moment was caught on video as Ashley desperately tried to rouse him, with the train careening down the railway.
Miraculously, an attendant managed to flag down the driver before it screeched to a halt just inches from the pair.
Thanks to Ashley's heroic efforts, there were no reported injuries, with the man being taken to hospital for brief treatment.
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Ashley Montabello remained on the tracks, desperately trying to save a man who'd fallen off the platform (Facebook)Now Ashley's long-term boyfriend Tommy Cloos, 60, has confirmed that she died in February, adding she was "too young to go".
The couple, who met a decade ago when she moved to Sydney aged 23, had planned to get married and have children in the near future, Tommy explained.
Her last words before her premature death were "I love you", he added.
While he wasn't with his girlfriend on the day of the heroic rescue, he said he wasn't surprised by the selfless deed.
Ashley and her long-term partner Tommy were planning to have children and get hitched before her untimely death (ommy Cloos/Facebook)"That was her instinct - she loved helping people, and she didn't worry about anything," he told Daily Mail Australia.
"She would give you her left arm if she thought you needed it".
"She had more balls than grace, and she had more balls than a lot of blokes," he added.
Tommy recommended she be posthumously awarded for her bravery.
Sadly, Ashley also had her own demons, including a gruelling battle with drug addiction, which was partly due to being abused as a youngster.
Miraculously, the train stopped inches before hitting Ashley and the man (Facebook)Blaming her parents, their relationship suffered and they became estranged after she moved to Sydney a decade ago.
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While battling a relapse, Ashley would often vanish, Tommy said, adding that he suspected something more sinister when she disappeared in February.
Tommy said Ashley started displaying drug-seeking behaviour, and that he contacted cops because he was "worried" when she didn't show up for a few days.
Tragically, she was found dead in her bed from a suspected drug overdose.
Though the coroner is still to determine her cause of death, Tommy believed she died from a "hotshot", a fentanyl-tainted heroin injection.
Sadly, Ashley struggled with drug addiction and died of a suspected fentanyl overdose (ommy Cloos/Facebook)Drug communities across the world have faced an epidemic, as fentanyl - which is 100 times stronger than morphine and therefore a useful adulterant for vicious street gangs - has tipped thousands over the edge of fatal overdoses.
The couple's hairdresser also paid tribute for the 33-year-old.
Brian said "there are heroes who walk amongst us every day", adding that people go about their day-to-day lives without realising if the person sitting next to you might save your life.
Recalling the "harrowing" incident last year, the commuter who filmed it explained how he froze when the man fell on the tracks.
He added that he feared the man would die because it took several people to prop him up.
Ashley was the only person to remain on the tracks as the train came to a halt just inches from where they were.
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