7th Grade Boy Saves the Day When School Bus Driver has Heart Attack

[Gee Whillickers]

These darn kids today, acting all brave and calm and in control, making good decisions and staying clear headed in an emergency. Why, when I was kid, we lived by the motto, "When in Panic Or In Doubt, Run In Circles, Scream and Shout."

A school bus driver had a heart attack while driving a bunch of middle school kids to school. One boy, sitting three or so rows back, figured out what was happening, took control of the bus, and safely steered the bus to the side of the road and to a stop before it hit a church. Another boy, also realizing what was happening, administered CPR to the driver. Other kids dialed 911 to procure emergency services.

Here's the story, and the video courtesy of the bus's onboard camera:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57411668/caught-on-tape-7th-grader-saves-bus-from-crash/?tag=pop;stories

[colinian]

The video was on the ten o'clock news on KTVU channel 2 in Oakland/San Francisco tonight, and it showed the driver and all of the kids without their faces being blanked out. Both those kids had great training and instincts to do the right things, one to stop the bus (he knew the best way to stop a vehicle is to shut off the ignition), another to perform pressure CPR on the driver (he was taught CPR), and others to call 911. Great job by the Milton, Washington schools to make sure these kids know what to do in case of an emergency.

Colin

[Merkin]

Those kids did a great job and deserve medals. I do have a misgiving, though. Many (most?) automobiles are rigged so that when you turn the key to 'Off' the steering locks up and you lose power to the brakes. Would that have been the case on most schoolbuses?

[blue]

I can say from experience, if you are a passenger in a moving vehicle and someone loses control, it takes you a couple of seconds or so to realize and then to act, in order to pull that key out of the ignition and press on the brakes...and pray your butt and theirs don't become toast and jam. One of the early signs my grandmother was having memory trouble turned out to be when she thought she was pressing the brakes instead of the gas pedal, while driving into her garage. It was an "experience," let me tell you. Would not want to repeat it. Total damages: Old car built like a tank, barely scratched. gate, garage door, garage wall, wheelbarrow, old desk and various implements, back fence, all converted to junk and kindling. Grandparent, two neighbors, and grandson, exceedingly shaken up. Grandson convince he was gonna sail right on through the neighbor's house and into the next street, and expire somewhere in the process, oh yeah.

My grandmother swore she pressed the brake pedal. She did not. It was the gas. The mechanic confirmed nothing wrong with the car. Insurance reimbursed her and I think the neighbor.

She continued driving for about three more years until she decided to give up and sell the car to a friend. She later could not remember this and said others (Ben!) sold her car.

One of the last times we went out driving in the neighborhood was to a store a few blocks away. I don't drive because my eyesight is that bad. I had to give her iffy directions from two streets past the store back home. We're lucky we go there, because, not driving, my internal road maps and direction sense suck. Back then, I didn't have a cell phone either. I didn't have one until after my dad passed away.

Moral: You have to be alert even as a passenger, whether a kid or non-driver. You can't know when someone might have a health emergency and need help, and then you or someone else has to rescue things as best you can.

-----

The kids in the video? I'd say they have not only good training from school, but likely parents and scouting or some other group. Good job, kids. Scary situation for sure.

[dude]

God bless 'em all!

[Cole Parker]

What was the first reaction from the woman TV announcer? That the the second kid, the verbal one, didn't really know the meaning of exhilarating!

So many adults, especially ones in high-paying, high-profile positions, tend to diminish kids and their abilities. That really pissed me off when I heard that. I knew what he meant with his statement, and I'll bet everyone here did, too! He used exactly the right word, and he used it correctly.

C

[DesDownunder]

I sat admiring his school, or whatever book he read, that taught him the word 'exhilarating.'

Clearly, given the speed of the boys reactions to the situation and the adult perception at the TV studio, we have absolute proof of human evolution in these boys.

The next generation students will probably have prepped the driver for open heart surgery.

It's nice to see a happy story for a change.

[Lugnutz]

Those kids did a great job and deserve medals. I do have a misgiving, though. Many (most?) automobiles are rigged so that when you turn the key to 'Off' the steering locks up and you lose power to the brakes. Would that have been the case on most schoolbuses?

The vehichle would also need to be in park or if it's a stick, a seperate button is pushed while turning the key back if they are anything like modern cars/trucks.