‘Quick Thinking’ Seventh Grader Hailed As Hero For Stopping School Bus After Driver Passed Out
A Michigan middle schooler saved a busload of children when their driver lost consciousness as she was dropping them off at home.
13-year-old Dillon Reeves heroically prevented a catastrophic accident from happening when his bus driver fell ill and passed out while ferrying 65 children home from Carter Middle School on Wednesday.
A video of the incident showed the driver fanning herself with her hat, then calling in to the transportation hub to report that she felt ill and needed to pull over.
Dillon Comes To The Rescue As The Driver Goes Down
Before the driver could safely stop the bus, she passed out. Seconds later, Reeves, who was sitting in the fifth row, took action.
The bus was reportedly beginning to veer into oncoming traffic, when Reeves grabbed the steering wheel and guided the bus back into the proper lane, while stepping on the brake.
“Someone call 911. Now,” he yelled back to his panicking peers.
“A quick-thinking 7th-grade male student saw the driver in distress, stepped to the front of the
bus and helped bring it to a stop without incident,” Superintendent Robert D. Livernois wrote in a statement on Wednesday.
“The actions of the student who helped stop the bus made all the difference today, and I could
not be prouder of his efforts.”
In a press conference on Thursday, he said that the act “was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity” on Reeves’ part.
Livernois noted that the tween hockey player and band member “had the wherewithal to push the brake down slowly – likely in anticipation that the bus was full of passengers.”
Dillon Stops The Bus And Saves The Day
After stopping the bus, Reeves was assisted by two adults who witnessed the incident occur.
A passerby hopped onboard to help with the driver, while a woman who had been driving behind the bus stopped and helped kids exit through the emergency door in the back.
The bus driver was taken to the hospital by ambulance and is currently in stable condition.
“It’s amazing, and this is like, such a good feeling to be so proud,” his mother said in an interview with Fox 2 Detroit.
Reeves will be honored by the mayor his hometown Warren with a resolution of appreciation “for his heroic actions that go above and beyond what most people would do.”
High School Athletes Help Shelter Dogs Find Forever Homes
A Florida high school cross-country team has taken to running with shelter pups to help promote their adoptability to their local community.
George Steinbrenner High School’s Boss Cross long-distance running team has been taking dogs rescued by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay on runs for the last six years.
Their head coach Allison Szponar said that one of the boys’ mothers saw that the Humane Society was looking for volunteers, and the coaching staff decided to partner with the shelter by taking the pups out for daily runs during breaks from school.
Teen Runners Give Shelter Dogs New Life
The benefit of the experience is two-fold for the dogs; they get to go on a fun excursion outside of the shelter and are introduced to the community they run in.
Several of the boys’ families and neighbors have adopted the dogs after repeatedly noticing the pups out and about around town.
“The team understands the importance to the dogs but also to the community at large. Their families or neighbors might adopt any of these dogs,” a manager at Humane Society of Tampa Bay remarked.
According to their coach the volunteer opportunity aligns with the team motto, “Gentleman. Scholar. Athlete.”
“It’s a really cool brand we have, and it goes along with what our team is about,” Szponar said.
“I truly believe that these kids having this responsibility and having to care for others directly impacts our team and our success.”
Lost Dog Rescued In Detroit
In Detroit, Michigan, a heartbroken German shepherd was spotted wandering around a neighborhood with a stuffed toy, after her elderly owner passed away.
Local residents saw the dog, desperately searching for her deceased owner, while carrying the toy around like a security blanket.
South Lyon Murphy Lost Animal Recovery was dispatched to capture the senior pup, and after a few attempts that she deftly evaded, they brought her to a local animal shelter.
Both the dog, who they dubbed Nikki, and her stuffed toy were in bad shape upon intake, but the shelter was able to get them back up to snuff.
Nikki’s Waiting For A Forever Family
Nikki required hydration, rest, and medication, while the stuff toy was in desperate need of a good wash and some stitching.
The dog was reunited with her stuffed animal hours later, but was so weak and exhausted, she would “just sleep on it,” according to shelter staff.
Since her rescue, Nikki has gone into foster care with a “wonderful” family, as she continues medical treatment and waits to find a forever family.
Another rescue dog, based out of Amsterdam, Netherlands, was adopted by a new family, but spent her initial days cowering in her owner’s bed and refusing to venture out.
In a heartwarming video, Effie the rescue puppy has become a new dog in the month she’s been in her forever home.
In the TikTok post, which has been viewed over 178,000 times, Effie can be seen digging holes in a field, romping around a trail, getting belly rubs, and cuddling up to her owners.
