MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A 27-year-old woman who witnesses said appeared to be dancing on Melbourne railroad tracks is recovering Tuesday after her arm was severed by an oncoming train.

An unidentified Melbourne police officer is credited with saving the woman's life by quickly tying a tourniquet above the shoulder where the arm was ripped away by the train, officials said.

"The pedestrian was apparently dancing on the tracks. The train came along and struck her," Assistant Chief Joe Sunday, of the Melbourne Fire Department, told Local 6 News partner Florida Today. "She’s probably going to be OK, but I'm sure the tourniquet helped."

The incident happened at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday on the railroad tracks near New Haven Avenue and Depot Drive in Melbourne.

The woman was treated by Melbourne Fire Department paramedics and taken by ambulance to the trauma center at Holmes Regional Medical Center. It was not known if doctors were able to reattach the severed arm.

Police reported that the woman was walking along the railroad tracks. Moments after hit by the oncoming train, the woman was conscious and bleeding, prompting a Melbourne officer to quickly apply the tourniquet to slow the loss of blood.

It was initially believed that the woman got into an argument with a man before she jumped onto the tracks.

An investigation is ongoing.

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