A quick-thinking Minnesota man has been hailed a hero after risking his own life to save nearly 20 children when their school bus driver suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel.
Ebro Ahmed, 27, was standing outside a convenience store in St Paul’s Dayton neighborhood on Monday when he spotted something deeply alarming – a school bus hurtling past with its doors splayed wide open.
Realizing something was wrong, Ahmed looked inside the vehicle and saw the driver appearing to suffer what looked like a seizure.
Without hesitation, the bystander sprang into action, sprinting towards the bus, climbing aboard and pulling the emergency brake just seconds before the situation could have turned into a disaster.
Speaking to ABC he explained the stressful turn of events, ‘I tried to put it in park, I threw it in reverse by accident, and then I ended up getting it in neutral, pulled the parking brake’
His split-second intervention helped bring the bus to a stop and protect the children on board.
Speaking about the terrifying ordeal, Ahmed said he never stopped to consider the danger he was putting himself in with a bus full of children at risk.
‘I really felt like it was my duty,’ he said.
Ebro Ahmed, 27, spotted the bus travelling with its doors flung wide open before rushing aboard and pulling the emergency brake
The Minnesota man said he did not hesitate to put his own life at risk, declaring: ‘Even if I were to die, it would still be worth it’
Some children were screaming, while others remained calm. Ahmed recalled throwing his phone and glasses to one of the youngsters and asking her to hold them while he concentrated on the emergency
For Ahmed, there was no question of walking away and hoping somebody else would intervene.
‘It’s kids we’re talking about, you know. Even if I were to die, it would still be worth it,’ he said.
Surveillance footage released by the convenience store, Ya Bricks Snacks and Tobacco, captured the remarkable moment Ahmed rushed to help.
Ahmed recalled the chaotic scenes inside the bus, where some youngsters screamed while others remained calm as he worked to bring the situation under control.
‘Some [kids] were screaming. Some [were] calm,’ he said.
He also praised two girls sitting near the front of the bus, who helped him as he tried to manage the unexpected crisis.
Ahmed said he threw his phone and glasses to one of the girls and asked her to hold them while he concentrated on the emergency.
‘These two girls on the front really did help me a lot,’ he recalled.
He also revealed how watching medical drama Grey’s Anatomy had taught him lessons he drew on during the terrifying ordeal
Despite the frightening circumstances, the 27-year-old managed to keep his composure, and he credits an unlikely source for helping him think clearly under pressure.
Rather than professional medical training, Ahmed pointed to the long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy as something that had taught him useful lessons about responding to emergencies.
The series follows doctors as they navigate medical emergencies and high-pressure situations.
Ahmed said the show gave him useful ideas about how to respond when the unexpected happens.
‘[The show teaches] you about what to do in situations that you never could see yourself in,’ he said.
He added, ‘So it’s just something like, you know, some tips and tricks that you could use for the rest of your life.’
Saint Paul Public Schools confirmed to ABC News that a medical emergency had occurred aboard the bus and that paramedics responded to the scene.
Fortunately, no injuries were sustained.
The school district said the children were transferred to another bus before being sent home, ensuring they could continue their journey after the frightening incident.
School officials also took steps to support the youngsters in the aftermath, with counselors checking in with students on Tuesday to see how they were coping.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Ahmed for comment.
