John Rudat.

By Michael Mashburn From Daily Voice

An EMT and model from upstate New York is fighting to recover after he was brutally stabbed while protecting two women from a tram assault in Germany.

John Rudat, 21, of Colonie, – who recently completed paramedic school and works as an EMT in Albany County – intervened after seeing two women being attacked in Dresden on Sunday, Aug. 24, according to a GoFundMe campaign.

In the struggle, he was slashed in the face with a six-inch blade, leaving him with severe injuries that required emergency surgery overseas.

Photos from the aftermath show blood across the tram floor as passengers used tissues to try to stop the bleeding.

Rudat, who moonlights as a model, addressed the attack on Instagram, saying one of his suspected assailants, a 21-year-old Syrian national, was briefly arrested but was later released due to insufficient evidence. He voiced frustration at how the case was being handled by German authorities.

“[The assailant] doesn’t even belong here. He’s an immigrant, an illegal one, a drug dealer, and very popularly known here, especially by the police,” Rudat told his over 7,000 Instagram followers.

“If they could do this to the people of Germany and then just be released 12 hours later… where’s the law? Where’s the structure?”

The US Embassy in German issued a statement condemning what it called a "brutal attack on an American citizen."

"While courageously intervening to protect a fellow passenger, he was viciously attacked," the embassy said. "We urge German authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and punish them to the fullest extent permitted by law. Safety is a collective responsibility—no one is safe until all are safe."

John Rudat.

John Rudat.

GoFundMe/Molly Sheldon

Family friend Molly Sheldon described Rudat as a “kind, selfless soul who put his own safety on the line to help others.”

“Fresh from completing Paramedic school, and having worked as an EMT for the last year and a half, John’s passion for saving lives drove him to heroically intervene when he saw two women being violently assaulted,” Sheldon wrote.

The young man now faces not only physical and emotional recovery but also steep financial burdens as he heals far from home.

“This horrible act against John leaves us devastated and seeking justice,” Sheldon continued. “Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a significant difference in helping him rebuild his life after this violent attack.”

Those interested in donating can do so via GoFundMe here.