The moment our kids leave our door, we only think of them throughout the day. No matter how careful we are, we can’t be sure of our kids and even our safety.
Brothers Connor and Seamus Collins were on their way home in their school bus Monday afternoon when Connor heard a loud sound on the bus floor.
He saw their bus driver, Arthur McDougall, 77, on the floor, unconscious.
Immediately, Connor, 16, took control of the bus and stepped on the brake. He instructed his younger brother, Seamus, to call 911.
Everything happened so fast!
If Connor didn’t press on the breaks, they could have gotten into an accident. In just a split second, these kids would have gotten injured.
While waiting for the paramedics, Seamus Collins, 12, hugged another student who was already upset.
“I need to stop this bus before it goes into the ditch or before anyone else gets hurt,” Connor said in his interview with News Central Maine.
Aside from keeping the other kids calm and stopping the school bus, they also tried to help their driver, who needed urgent medical attention.
While everyone else panicked and cried, the brothers held on and were strong enough to keep the situation under control.
“Everyone is panicking, one person called 911 and I’m just trying to keep the other kids under control because they’re freaking out,” Seamus recalled.
Connor also asked another high school student to help with McDougall. They tried everything they could to help their kind bus driver.
“It was traumatizing,” said Seamus, recalling the whole ordeal.
Indeed, this event is like something you see in a suspense movie.
You’re on your bus, and suddenly, all of these things happen in front of you. We can’t blame the kids if they were crying, scared, and even felt helpless.
Soon, the authorities arrived.
“Good for them for stepping up and being heroes,” Jose Gomez, one of the responding officers said.
Jose Gomez and another officer tried to perform CPR on the driver, Arthur McDougall, who was already 77 years old.
They took McDougall to Mid Coast Medical Center in Brunswick.
Then they decided to airlift him to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he passed away.
McDougall’s wife, Diane, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the two students and everyone who tried helping her husband.
“All of the students, citizens, and first responders that attempted to save my husband’s life yesterday,” the Topsham Police relayed her statement.
Connor and Seamus were heroes.
Everyone thought they were brave, and they acted as quickly. With their act of heroism, Connor and Seamus were able to prevent further accidents or injuries.
“No. It’s not a title that suits me,” said Seamus.
Both Connor and Seamus didn’t think that they were heroes. For them, they were not heroes, they were just doing what they thought was right.
The parents of Seamus and Connor must have felt so proud of their boys. Who wouldn’t?
Watch the full interview below, and don’t forget to share this with your friends and family.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
