Mom was just picking up her daughter from bus stop—then a quick observation by her ended up saving 22 kids
A person's situational awareness might help people escape potential disasters unharmed. A mom managed to do the same with her one quick observation. The mom, Kari Thorp, was picking up her daughter at the drop-off point when she noticed something unusual about her school bus. She could clearly see flames erupting from under the bus and screamed to get the bus driver's attention. Her quick action helped save 22 kids on board the bus at the time, according to CBS News.
Thorp's daughter had just gotten off the bus when she noticed flames coming from below the bus. She immediately informed the driver about the fire, who jumped into action. "It was crazy. I'm just thankful that he was very calm," Thorp recounted. "Kids were crying. Kids were scared and freaking out. It was quite emotional and kind of frantic." Thankfully, they were still able to get all 22 kids from the East Bethel Elementary School in Minnesota out of the bus safely. The kids gathered at the woman's front door to avoid the flames erupting from the bus. All of them had gotten out just in time, as the bus was burning within minutes after the mom noticed the smoke.
"It moved pretty fast. It was probably within 15 minutes that the thing was engulfed. It was crazy to see the tires and hear them explode," Thorp continued. The mom was really thankful that she was able to notice the fire right on time. "I don't think he would have gotten very far. And I don't think we would have been able to get those kids off the bus as fast. I don't know what would have happened. Because a lot of little ones sit up front and that's where it all started, right up front." The parents were grateful that the mom and the bus driver, Rick Gratton, were able to help their kids out of the bus. The school also recognized the efforts made by the two of them.
Soon enough, firefighters and school staff arrived at the scene to help put out the fire. The bus was then towed away and couldn't be saved from the effects of the flames. The fire was so brutal that it had melted a portion of the road in front of the woman's house. The cause of the fire was still unknown. Parents also cited a recent bus safety course conducted by the school, which may have helped the kids escape the burning bus safely, according to the outlet. Many kids lost their stuff due to the fire, but didn't experience any injuries.
Many people go above and beyond to help people stuck in such situations. In another story, a crane driver did the same when he noticed an apartment complex on fire. The driver, Glen Edwards, risked his life to help a construction worker during a fire, per ITV News. The man could hardly see the construction worker because of all the smoke, but still worked to save his life. Soon after the incident, Edwards learned about his terminal cancer diagnosis. But then he met Gini Hackett, a charity founder who knew about his heroic actions during the apartment complex fire. She decided to fulfill his bucket list wish of having a garden shed and flooring for his new house. The charity also arranged a fishing trip to Swanage for the man.
More on Amplify
Stranger running for his life stops midway to save a 3-year-old girl from a catastrophic fire
Teen's obsession with a Disney+ TV show led her to save people trapped in an apartment fire