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Brothers save kids from tragedy when school bus driver collapses [Video]

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  • A school bus driver suddenly collapsed while transporting kids to school.
  • As the driver fell to the floor, the bus violently swerved, straight into a ditch.
  • Two brothers acted quickly to save the kids from potential tragedy.

When things go awry, many people panic, but others instinctively know how to take action. Connor and Seamus Collins, brothers from Topsham, Maine, fell into the latter category, which is fortunate for a group of kids.

Connor, 16, and Seamus, 12, were riding the school bus one morning when Connor heard a thud. When he looked up, their bus driver, 77-year-old Arthur McDougall, was sprawled on the floor. When he collapsed, the bus violently swerved to the right, straight into a ravine. Connor knew right away what he had to do.

“I got up and pressed on the brake and told my little brother to call 911,” Connor said, recalling his thoughts while the event was unfolding. “I need to stop this bus before it goes into the ditch or before anyone else gets hurt.”

The teenager clutched the steering wheel and slammed his foot on the brake. Meanwhile, Seamus ensured that someone requested assistance and began directing the other children off the bus by the rear exit. He maintained his composure throughout, pausing even to hug a tearful youngster.

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“I was trying to keep everyone calm, tell everyone it was going to be ok, the police are on their way,” Seamus said. “I gave one of the other students a hug because he was crying and freaking out because he’s never been in a situation like this. Most of them haven’t. And when it’s in a bus accident, it’s very traumatizing.”

While Seamus was helping the younger students, Connor sought the help of the only other high school student to lift Arthur onto his back. Officer Jose Gomez of the Topsham Police Department came on the scene just as the two of them were beginning CPR. They used a defibrillator to revive the victim’s heart, but he died later that day at the hospital.

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The brothers have been lauded as heroes in the aftermath of the tragic accident. According to the police, they got the situation under control and ensured that no one else was injured.

“If not for them, we would’ve maybe responded a little later,” officer Gomez said. “So good for them for stepping up and being heroes.”

For the kids on that bus, this must have been a trauma, and it might have been so much worse! Connor and Seamus say they’re just glad they could assist when the situation called for it.

Source: Inspire More

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