Buzz
What would you do if, in the midst of your routine, you saw someone in distress? Would you take action, even if it meant risking your own life? It's a question that often crosses our minds, wondering if we would have the courage to step in and help. These individuals did, selflessly putting themselves at risk to save others from harm, even in the face of danger.
10. Temar Boggs and Chris Garcia
In the summer of 2013, teenagers Temar Boggs and Chris Garcia were enjoying a quiet day when they learned that police were searching for five-year-old Jocelyn Rojas, who had gone missing from her front yard and might have been abducted. After two hours of searching by both law enforcement and neighbors, the teens, who had been watching TV, decided to take action. They grabbed their bikes and began searching the area. Just 45 minutes later, they spotted a car with a suspicious driver who was slowly driving through cul-de-sacs.
Upon closer inspection, the teens noticed the missing girl in the front seat and immediately started pursuing the car. After a 15-minute chase, the abductor panicked, released Jocelyn from the vehicle, and drove off. Jocelyn ran straight to 15-year-old Boggs, saying she wanted her mommy. Without hesitation, he picked her up, first placing her on his bike, then carrying her in his arms, and took her safely to a firefighter. The community was so moved by the teens' bravery that funds were quickly raised for their college education, and their heroism was formally recognized in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.
9. Harvey Randolph
In the autumn of 1997, 37-year-old Jill Fitzgerald was out for her morning jog in her Florida neighborhood when she was suddenly attacked by a pit bull and its three mixed-breed pups. Harvey Randolph, a 53-year-old plumbing contractor and neighbor, heard Fitzgerald's screams and rushed outside. Upon seeing the dogs mauling his neighbor, he tried to pull her to safety, but the dogs turned on him. Randolph managed to drag Fitzgerald about 12 meters (40 feet) into a nearby van, with the aggressive dogs in hot pursuit.
Fitzgerald sustained severe injuries, including deep wounds to her ankle and elbow, bites to her face, and heavy blood loss. When paramedics arrived, summoned by nearby neighbors calling 911, they too were attacked by the pit bulls before the dogs retreated into the woods. Fitzgerald was hospitalized for four days due to her extensive wounds, while Randolph required surgery on his injured elbow. The attacking dogs were impounded, and their owner issued an apology, pledging to have them euthanized. In recognition of his courageous actions, Harvey Randolph was awarded a Carnegie Medal.
8. Lauren Prezioso
In 2014, Lauren Prezioso was spending a relaxing day at Coffs Harbour Creek in New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and young son when she suddenly heard the desperate cries of a mother: Her two boys were being pulled out to sea. The family had recently moved from Africa, and the boys were unable to swim. As she watched the children being dragged under the water, Prezioso waited for someone to step in. When no one did, she made the courageous decision to dive into the ocean herself—despite being eight months pregnant.
Prezioso reached the boys and kept them afloat, one in each arm. Though she was a strong swimmer and had lifeguard training, she struggled to stay above water while trying to swim to safety with the boys. Just as she neared exhaustion, a fellow beachgoer, equally heroic, pulled them out of danger. Prezoso believes this man is the true hero of the story. Remarkably, just 23 days after the rescue, Lauren gave birth to a healthy daughter, Mila.
7. Jeremy Wuitschick and Johnny Wood
It was just another typical day for the middle school students in the small town of Milton, Washington, as they boarded the school bus in April 2012. But the normal ride quickly turned into a life-or-death situation when the driver unexpectedly lost consciousness and began thrashing uncontrollably. Stricken by a suspected heart attack and unable to breathe, substitute driver Ryan Callis let go of the wheel, and the bus veered wildly out of control. In a split second, 13-year-old Jeremy Wuitschick, without hesitation, rushed to the front of the bus, grabbed the steering wheel, and steered it toward the side of the road while simultaneously removing the keys from the ignition. Meanwhile, fellow seventh grader Johnny Wood, who had just learned CPR, sprinted to the driver’s side and began performing chest compressions, while another student quickly dialed 911.
Tragically, despite Johnny's valiant efforts, the 43-year-old bus driver did not survive the medical emergency. However, thanks to Jeremy Wuitschick's quick thinking, inspired by a superhero book he had been reading, a far worse catastrophe was averted, as his actions saved the lives of all the other students on board.
6. Lewis Thomas
On a routine subway ride home in Philadelphia just before Christmas in 1996, 49-year-old laborer Lewis Thomas witnessed a shocking robbery in progress. Two young men were holding three 15-year-old boys at gunpoint, stealing their money, jackets, and even their boots, and viciously pistol-whipping them. Thomas couldn’t stand by and watch. Even though the subway car was crowded with people, none of the other passengers stepped in. Thomas stood up and walked directly toward the robbers. The thieves shouted at him to sit down, but Thomas ignored them and kept advancing. One of the assailants shot him in the leg, but Thomas didn’t stop. The robbers jumped off the train at the next station and were later captured by police.
The passengers, who had remained passive while the teens were being robbed, also turned their backs on Lewis Thomas when he was shot. Left to face the aftermath alone, he had to make his way to the nearest hospital on foot. Fortunately, both Thomas and the young boy who had been pistol-whipped made full recoveries. The two criminals, aged 20 and 17, were later convicted of robbery, conspiracy, and aggravated assault. In recognition of his bravery in the face of danger, while others did nothing, Lewis Thomas was awarded the Carnegie Medal for his heroic actions.
5. Keenia Williams
In 2011, 22-year-old single mother Keenia Williams was driving her young daughter to school early one morning along a California highway when she witnessed a catastrophic accident in her rearview mirror. A large truck had flipped over and caught fire after swerving to avoid a collision between two cars. Without a second thought, Williams rushed toward the burning truck and found the driver, 52-year-old Michael Finerty, who had managed to crawl out of the cab but was on the verge of losing consciousness. Risking her own safety, she avoided the leaking diesel fuel and pulled Finerty to her car. Once there, she covered him with her coat, doused his face with water, and worked to stabilize him.
Firefighters later confirmed that they would not have been able to locate Mr. Finerty until after the fire had been put out, meaning that Williams's quick thinking and heroic actions likely saved his life. As a result of her courage, Williams was honored by the California Highway Patrol and became the inaugural recipient of the San Francisco Good Samaritan Award. Remarkably, three years later, Williams found herself in another life-saving situation when she witnessed another accident and heroically pulled a woman from the smoky wreckage of her overturned vehicle.
4. Darnell Barton
On a crisp fall day in 2013, New York bus driver Darnell Barton was making his usual afternoon rounds with a bus full of students. As he drove across the Scajaquada Expressway overpass, he noticed a woman standing precariously over the guardrail, looking down at the busy expressway below. While other commuters passed by without offering any help, Barton couldn’t ignore the situation. In a heartwarming moment captured by the bus's surveillance cameras, the former volunteer firefighter halted the bus, approached the woman, and asked if she was okay. After receiving no response, Barton radioed for police support, then gently wrapped his arm around her and asked if she wanted to step back over the guardrail. She agreed.
For the next 20 minutes, Barton calmly spoke with the woman, offering reassurance and encouraging her that help was available. A corrections officer and a counselor soon arrived to assist. Together, they kept the woman safe until police and firefighters took over. When Barton returned to the bus, his young passengers erupted into applause. Despite the attention, Barton remained humble and reflected, saying, “I felt like I did what I was supposed to do at the time.”
3. Jon Meis
In June 2014, Jon Meis, a student at Seattle Pacific University, became a hero after saving countless lives during a shooting spree. When a gunman entered Otto Miller Hall, opening fire and killing one student while injuring two others, Meis sprang into action. The gunman, Aaron Ybarra, paused to reload, giving Meis the opportunity he had prepared for. A volunteer monitor, Meis was sitting at a desk near the building's entrance and always carried pepper spray for emergencies. He used it to incapacitate Ybarra by spraying him in the face, then tackled the shooter to the ground. Other students quickly joined in, and law enforcement arrived shortly after to arrest the gunman.
Meis was unharmed but in shock, and he was briefly hospitalized for precautionary measures. As news of his brave actions spread on social media, Meis and his family chose to stay out of the spotlight, declining interviews with the media. Instead, Meis issued a statement through the university, crediting his Christian faith and thanking the public for their support while urging them to focus on the victims. He asked that donations be directed to the victims, not to him. Just nine days after the incident, Meis received a standing ovation during his graduation ceremony at Seattle Pacific University. In recognition of his heroism, an engineering scholarship was also established in his honor.
2. Angela Pierce
In 2010, Ohio highway patrolman Jonathan Seiter was conducting a routine traffic stop when he pulled over Otto Coleman. Upon detecting alcohol on Coleman’s breath, Seiter ordered him out of the car and prepared to administer a field sobriety test. But Coleman suddenly attacked. With a history of assaulting officers, Coleman shoved Seiter against the trunk of the car, and the struggle escalated quickly. Coleman attempted to seize Seiter’s weapon while the officer called out for help, hoping someone would come to his aid.
Angela Pierce, a cashier, was driving past the scene on her way to a birthday party when she saw the officer in distress. As other drivers ignored the situation, Pierce urged her aunt to stop the car. She ran over and began striking Otto Coleman in an attempt to help Officer Seiter regain control. Once backup arrived, Pierce was briefly detained, but upon realizing her role, they uncuffed her and greeted her with high fives. In a later appearance on *Good Morning America*, Officer Seiter shared that he believed his rescuer was a ‘guardian angel’ sent by his late parents. Seiter eventually met Angela Pierce in person to personally thank her, not only on behalf of himself but also for his wife and children.
1. Robert Mohr And Rodney Lindley
In May 1998, freight train conductor Robert Mohr and engineer Rodney Lindley were traveling along the Indiana tracks when they noticed what looked like a puppy on the rails. When they sounded the train's whistle, they were horrified to discover that it wasn’t a puppy at all, but a small child. Nineteen-month-old Emily Marshall had wandered away from her mother, who was tending to her garden, and found herself sitting on the tracks about 50 meters (160 feet) behind the house. Completely unaware of the impending danger, she was in the direct path of a 6,200-ton train.
“That’s a baby!” Mohr yelled, and engineer Lindley immediately applied the brakes, reducing the train's speed from 39 kilometers (24 miles) per hour to 16 kilometers (10 miles) per hour. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to stop the train in time. Without hesitation, Mohr dashed out onto the catwalk beside the engine and climbed to the front grille, preparing to grab the child. Fortunately, Emily crawled off the tracks just in time, but she was still dangerously close. In a desperate move, Mohr, a father of four and a Vietnam veteran, kicked Emily off the tracks and down an embankment. He then jumped down after her and held her until paramedics arrived. Thanks to the quick actions and bravery of both men, little Emily only suffered a chipped tooth and required a few stitches on her forehead.
