Bus driver finishing her route watched in horror as a young boy ran towards a lake. She knew she had to act instantly
Some people might go out of their way to help a person in need. A bus driver who was just finishing up her route did that for a little boy. The woman, Mebal Kaanyi, had spotted the four-year-old boy running towards a lake and it was quite a shocking sight for her. He was also crying as he ran towards the water body. So, Mebal immediately sprang into action to help the child, even though she didn't know how to swim, per Kare 11 News.
The woman was at the Chandler and Owasso Boulevard and saw the boy running in the direction of Lake Owasso, according to the outlet. "I see this little guy coming, running down the street. He was crying and running. He was not dressed. He was in, I think, undies and just a short-sleeve shirt. He did not have a sweatshirt on him. He did not have shoes on him. It was cold that day," Mebal recounted. She drove school buses for the Roseville Area and tried to talk to the child through the bus window. However, the child didn't listen to her and kept running down the hill. "When the kid went to the fence and touched the gate and it just opened, that moment, my heart skipped."
The sight was pretty harrowing for Mebal, who safely parked the bus and followed the child immediately. The child had stepped into the water and was struggling. Mebal, on the other hand, didn't know how to swim. But she was determined to save the child. "The spot where he stepped was deep, so he just started struggling in there. I've never swum in my entire life ... I get goosebumps just looking at the water. I'm so afraid of water, but that day, I was determined to do anything possible to save that kid." She added, "When he was struggling to breathe, I think he was pushing himself toward me, so I grabbed his hand and I was like, 'Thank goodness. I got you.' I just carried him to my bus and called my dispatch."
The boy had also been reported missing by his aunt as Mebal gave him towels and helped him inside her bus for safety. The bus driver had no idea that 911 had already been called and an officer was going to come around soon enough to help them. Sgt. Matt Marson from Ramsey County came to check on the boy and was relieved to find him safe and sound on the bus. "The child was soaking wet, clearly nonverbal, possibly special needs," Marson pointed out. The officer was really thankful for Mebal's major role in the kid's rescue.
"She was integral in saving that child’s life. That child would've probably been dead in that water, just from exposure or maybe even drowning. She's a hero, plain and simple," the officer went on. He also revealed that the woman would receive a special award for her brave and life-saving act in the situation. At the same time, Mebal was just glad that the child was doing well. "This is what everybody should do. We need to live in a society where we care for one another," she remarked.