Everyday Heroes Whose Courage Blows Our Minds

Mamoudu Gassama saved a young man from a high balcony in 2018. The young immigrant from Malia made headlines in France and globally. Gassama had only been in the country a year. While walking, he saw the child dangling. Gassama then performed a near superhuman feat.

“I just didn't have time to think; I ran across the road to save him.”Gassama told President Macron.. “I just climbed up and thank God; God helped me. The more I climbed, the more courage I had to climb higher; that is all.”

Many in France praised Gassama. This included Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, and President Macron. Macron declared the young man a naturalized citizen.

Polar bears are fierce predators on Earth. They usually hunt seals, but they attack humans. Erin Greene learned this from a 2013 attack in Manitoba, Canada. William Ayotte saved her from certain death and being eaten. Ayotte grabbed a snow shovel and attacked the bear.

Ayotte turned the polar bear’s attention away from Greene. Ayotte took the bear’s attack upon himself and suffered a brutal mauling. Ayotte said in an interview, “I could hear his tongue. I could hear the skin ripping and everything. But I didn’t feel anything.”

Just as Ayotte seemed to sacrifice himself to save another, a neighbor scared the bear away by driving his truck toward it. Ayotte recovered from his injuries andCanada awarded Ayotte the Canadian Decoration for Bravery.

Crossing guards keep children safe from cars. Rarely, these individuals die protecting those in their trust, like Marie Conley in 2008. Conley put herself in the path of a speeding vehicle. She saved a 10-year-old child but was fatally injured.

After Conley died, her family started a scholarship in her name. Surviving Medal of Honor recipients voted for the Citizen Service Before Self Honors, which Conley also received.Her son Christopher said this.Marie Conley took the brunt of an oncoming car to save a child.

I told a reporter in Washington that if she were here, she would not accept these awards. She did things because they were right. That is how she lived. If she were here, she would say she was just doing her job.

Ken Hawj’s brave actions show both tragedy and great courage. When 11-year-old Calvin Vang fell into the St. Croix River in Minnesota, he must have thought his life ended, especially after his uncle died trying to save him.

Bystander Ken Hawj jumped off a cliff and pulled the boy from the river. The Chisago County Sheriff gave him an award for this brave act in 2014.He received an award from the Chisago County Sheriff.This happened in 2014.

Being caught in a terrorist attack is horrifying. In such a situation, ducking and running is easier. However, three American tourists, a French national, and a British citizen did the opposite, showing great courage.

In January 2018, a gunman boarded a train heading to Paris from Amsterdam and opened fire. The young men knew they needed to act.After charging and tackling him,(after the gun jammed), they kept him restrained. This showed great bravery. Whether the man planned terrorism or just robbery, the young men stopped a major loss of life.

Chris Norman said this about his thoughts during the incident:

I thought, “Okay, I’ll probably die anyway, so let’s go.” I would rather die while active, trying to pull him down, than sit and get shot. You either sit down and die or get up and die. That is all there is to it.

Mass shootings in US schools dominate the news now. Many such events cause huge loss of life. Jencie Fagan, an extraordinary teacher, stopped a similar mass killing in 2008.

When she heard gunshots, the teacher went to the hallway. There, she faced a student who had already hurt two classmates and was wounding others.

Fagan did not back down. She thought fast. After directing other students to safety, she talked the shooter down. She then grabbed him in a bear hug.She kept him still until police arrived..

Rescuing someone from a car about to catch fire needs special bravery. Jeremy Berish of Pennsylvania did this in 2014. He looked out when he heard an accident outside his home and saw Renee Geho lose control of her car.

Berish saw the car about to explode. He dragged the unconscious woman out just in time,as the vehicle caught fire right after.

Jeremy Berish’s effort was more extraordinary because he wore only pajamas and flip-flops. The local community praised him as a hero, though he was more careful about that title. He said, "That term is used, but I don't really see it that way."

New York City subway is a huge part of the metropolis, yet it poses danger. Cameron Hollopeter had a seizure in 2007 and fell onto the tracks at the 137th Street platform. Wesley Autrey, a construction worker, acted fast. He jumped in front of the approaching train, holding the other person down while the train passed.

Autrey recounted in anAutrey spoke in an interview several years after the incident

When the train stopped, he started panicking. I knocked his arm down. I yelled up, "Firefighter, police, and this guy is grabbing stuff underneath the train." I saved his life. We were in water. I did not want to get shocked. What should I do? I told him to pin him down once, and he could pin him down again.

Autrey gained global fame and praise for his bravery. Figures like then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, President George W. Bush, and David Letterman praised him.