Buzz
As the proverb suggests, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” This is especially evident when disaster strikes. In times of overwhelming misfortune and even catastrophe, only a few people have the fortitude and bravery to go above and beyond to help others survive.
Numerous tragic events have given rise to incredible stories of selflessness, where people displayed extraordinary courage to save others. To make sure their acts of heroism are remembered, here are the stories of 10 individuals who gave their own lives to save others.
10. Frank Foley
Frank Foley might not be the first person that comes to mind when thinking of a classic British spy or hero. In fact, he was reportedly small, a bit round in the middle, and wore round glasses, which made him almost the complete opposite of James Bond. Yet, Sir Alex Younger, the current head of MI6, has described Foley as “a consummately effective intelligence officer.”
Before the outbreak of World War II and after Kristallnacht, Foley went undercover as a passport control officer at the British embassy in Berlin. Fully aware of the harsh treatment Jews were facing under the Nazis, he took action by forging passports and altering visas to help Jewish people flee Hitler’s regime.
Despite lacking diplomatic immunity, Foley went so far as to enter several Nazi concentration camps to issue travel documents and visas. His courageous efforts are credited with saving more than 10,000 men, women, and children from Nazi Germany.
9. Titanic Engineers
Regrettably, many films about the sinking of the RMS Titanic have overlooked the heroic sacrifice of the 35 engineering staff members aboard the ship who perished in the disaster. As none of the engineering team survived the sinking on April 15, 1912, there was no firsthand testimony regarding their actions during the official inquiry.
Despite this, it is certain that every engineer stayed behind to maintain the RMS Titanic’s electrical power during the catastrophe. By keeping the ship's lights on, they helped to calm the panic among passengers and allowed the wireless operators to send distress signals to nearby ships.
8. The Chernobyl Three
On April 26, 1986, one of the four nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, releasing 400 times the radiation of the Hiroshima atomic bomb of 1945. Yet, the consequences of the disaster could have been far worse without the courageous efforts of three selfless volunteers.
A few days after the disaster, scientists realized that the molten nuclear material would eventually burn through the concrete reactor floor, causing it to leak into the water pools below. This would lead to a steam explosion laced with radiation, which would destroy the nuclear plant and the remaining three reactors, resulting in catastrophic damage to the world.
In order to prevent nuclear fallout, the 20 million liters (5 million gallons) of water had to be drained, a task that required manually turning the correct valves. Senior engineer Valeri Bespalov, mechanical engineer Alexei Ananenko, and shift supervisor Boris Baranov volunteered for this life-threatening mission, one that many considered suicidal, but which would save millions of lives.
Although some of the water had already been drained before their mission, the three men entered wearing wet suits with radioactive water up to their knees and successfully shut off the valves. Fortunately, all three survived the perilous task. Two of them are still alive today and continue to work in the nuclear industry. Sadly, Boris Baranov passed away from a heart attack in 2005.
7. Benjamin Clark
On September 11, 2001, Benjamin Keefe Clark wasn’t a police officer or firefighter. Instead, he worked as a chef preparing meals for the staff at Fiduciary Trust Company, located on the 96th floor of the South Tower. When the plane struck the building, he didn’t focus on his own escape. Rather, he took immediate action to guide others to safety.
It’s reported that the former Marine made sure that everyone in his department and all individuals in the 96th floor offices evacuated the building as soon as possible. Following the tragedy, a Fiduciary official praised Benjamin for saving hundreds of lives. For instance, when they reached the 78th floor, he is said to have helped a woman in a wheelchair. Despite his extraordinary bravery, he didn’t survive the tragic event.
6. John Robert Fox
World War II was filled with countless brave soldiers who risked their lives to save their fellow soldiers. Though many of their heroic acts may remain unknown, the story of Lieutenant John Robert Fox is well-documented. The 29-year-old GI fought in Sommocolonia, a mountainous village in Italy that saw fierce battles between US and German forces.
On Christmas Day, US forces had successfully captured the charming town, with members of Fox’s unit generously distributing cheese and chocolates to the villagers. The following morning, the anticipated German counterattack began at dawn. As an artillery spotter, Fox’s responsibility was to communicate coordinates over the radio, guiding units where to deliver their artillery strikes.
The German assault was intense, forcing the US unit to retreat. Fox took refuge in a second-floor lookout position of a house, using the radio to instruct his unit to direct artillery fire at the village. This would grant the retreating soldiers the time they needed to escape.
When the artillery officer responded, “Fox, that will be on you,” Fox allegedly answered, “Fire it. There’s more of them than there are us.” This selfless act provided crucial cover for the retreating soldiers, enabling the US unit to regroup and reclaim Sommocolonia in the following days.
5. Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips, a 25-year-old senior wireless operator, became one of the many heroes during the sinking of the RMS Titanic. On the evening of April 14, 1912, Phillips was working through a stack of personal messages for passengers and crew. However, he and Harold Bride, a junior wireless officer, did manage to relay several iceberg warnings to Captain Edward Smith.
When the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 PM, Phillips remained in the wireless room, continuing his work. As Bride came in to take over, Captain Smith entered and instructed Phillips to send out a distress signal, requesting assistance from nearby ships and providing the ship’s estimated location.
The two wireless officers worked relentlessly until 2:00 AM, sending out distress signals. At that point, Captain Smith told them they had fulfilled their duty and ordered them to abandon the ship. While Bride took the chance to throw flotation devices into the water to aid others, Phillips stayed at his post, continuing to send distress messages until the very last moment of the ship’s sinking.
Though Phillips managed to climb onto the upturned Lifeboat B, he tragically perished and fell back into the water. Fortunately, Harold Bride survived the ordeal and passed away in 1956.
4. Maximilian Kolbe
Throughout history, there have been countless stories of courageous individuals who risked their lives to save others during the Holocaust. One unforgettable story is that of Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who found himself imprisoned at the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1941.
At Auschwitz, the Nazis gradually starved the prisoners, providing them with minuscule rations that were barely enough to sustain a child. Each day, every prisoner received a small cup of fake coffee, a weak bowl of soup, and half a loaf of bread after labor. In a place where securing food was a daily battle, Father Maximilian Kolbe would consistently step aside, allowing others to eat, which meant little food remained for him.
A brutal rule at Auschwitz was that if one prisoner attempted to escape, 10 others would be selected to die by starvation. After a man from Kolbe’s barrack escaped in July 1941, 10 men were chosen to be executed by starvation.
As one of the selected prisoners, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out in despair, Kolbe stepped forward to the commandant and said, “I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place. I am old. He has a wife and children.” The commandant agreed to his request, and the priest took Gajowniczek’s place.
After enduring two weeks of hunger and dehydration, Kolbe was the last man still conscious in the group. He raised his left arm toward Bock, an executioner, who administered a lethal dose of carbolic acid to the priest on August 14, 1941.
3. Rick Rescorla
Rick Rescorla, a former British military officer, held the position of head of security for Morgan Stanley in the World Trade Center’s South Tower. The 1993 bombing of the complex made a significant impact on Rescorla, who had already pointed out the building's security vulnerabilities before the attack.
Believing that the World Trade Center was likely to face another catastrophic event in the future, Rescorla took it upon himself to regularly conduct escape drills for employees at the bank. These drills ultimately saved many lives during the September 11, 2001, attacks.
On September 11, Rescorla not only guided people down the stairs to safety but also sang Cornish songs to lift their spirits. It is also reported that he went back to the 10th floor of the South Tower to assist more people in evacuating. Though Rescorla tragically became one of over 2,600 victims when the towers collapsed, his courageous actions are believed to have saved the lives of more than 2,500 employees.
2. The Village Of Eyam
While many stories of individual heroism have been documented, few cover entire communities risking their lives for others. However, that is exactly what the people of Eyam, a village in Derbyshire, England, did when the bubonic plague arrived. The deadly disease came with a bale of cloth, which was infested with fleas from London, a city already grappling with the Black Death.
Between September and December of 1665, forty-two villagers succumbed to the disease. By the spring of 1666, the infected villagers' loved ones were understandably desperate to escape, but the entire community remained committed to halting the spread of the plague by selflessly isolating themselves.
To stop the spread of the Black Death to nearby towns like Bakewell and Sheffield, William Mompesson, the newly appointed rector, persuaded the villagers to stay in Eyam and quarantine themselves. His request was met with cooperation, and the locals agreed to remain in the village to prevent further devastation.
Over the course of just a year, 260 individuals tragically died from the plague, all in a selfless attempt to protect their neighboring communities from suffering the same fate.
1. Godwin Ajala
Upon arriving in the United States from Nigeria, Godwin Ajala faced numerous challenges, working several poorly paid jobs until he finally secured a permanent position as an access control officer at the World Trade Center. His duties included walking the floors of the towers, riding the elevators, and ensuring the building's security, as well as assisting with minor emergencies.
Outside of his duties at the World Trade Center, Godwin Ajala was also preparing for the New York State bar exam, working toward a brighter future.
When the planes struck the World Trade Center, 33-year-old Ajala courageously assisted thousands of individuals in evacuating the towers. He reportedly held doors open for fleeing people and guided others to safety. Tragically, after his selfless efforts, Ajala collapsed from exhaustion and fell into a coma, passing away the following Sunday.
