It seems like the “hero” label gets tossed around a lot, but the fact is, because of social media, we’re much more aware of everyday heroes than we used to be. These heroes have always been out there, but maybe we weren’t aware of them as much because stories weren’t being shared all over the world as they are today. However, something happened recently that really made people see just how much of a hero one person was. A car accident on a Maryland bridge had a car dangling over the bridge’s guardrail, and an infant, who was still stuck in a car seat, was quickly ejected from the car and into the dangerous waters of the bay.
A bystander who happened to be there didn’t even hesitate. He jumped over the guardrail and dove into the water to rescue the baby. It almost sounds like a superhero movie, but that’s exactly how it went down. the man just jumped off the bridge to save a little baby’s life. They both survived the ordeal and the man is being called a hero. This story was reported on the Ocean City Fire Department’s Facebook page, and it quickly went viral. Since the department shared photos, the post has had 5.8K reactions, 2.9K comments, and more than 10K shares. The department gave more detail about what happened.
The incident happened on Assawoman Bay, and firefighters were able to secure the vehicle with rescue tools. Meanwhile, paramedics treated patients after the event was declared a mass casualty incident, and the call was upgraded to a rescue response. The baby was taken to John Hopkins Children’s Hospital by helicopter. Reports say that the rescuer was in a lot of shock, too, as reported by boaters who pulled both him and the infant out of the water. The man wants to remain anonymous.
The man dove 30 feet into the water. He treaded water with the baby until a nearby boater came to pull them both out of the water. Allegedly, the man gave the baby CPR while still in the water. The boater’s daughter, a 14-year-old girl, said that the rescuer didn’t say much because he was in such a state of shock himself. It’s not every day someone gets to be a hero, but we’re glad this man was in the right place at the right time. The baby is safe with minor injuries.