You're Never Too Young to Be a Hero

 

Alex Schrier and Jeffrey Bounds

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Youth get a lot of bad press on how they’re only interested in video games and their inability to communicate one-on-one because their attention is constantly focused on their cellphones.

Well, California teens Alex Schrier and Jeffrey Bounds are great examples of why this stereotype just isn’t true.

Out of sheer instinct and selflessness, the two saved the lives of a man and woman trapped inside a burning car on the road in Orange County, California. With the help of a passerby, who used a large rock to break through the glass sunroof, Alex dialed 911 as Jeffrey helped pull the trapped passengers from the flames of the vehicle.

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According to County Fire Captain Steve Concialdi, the woman sustained head and shoulder injuries while the male passenger had minor injuries. “Honestly, I’ve never been more scared,” recalls Jeffrey. “We got them out, and then it just started to just blow up.”

Alex and Jeffrey, both 16, are teammates on their high school baseball team and are being heralded as heroes by Orange County Fire Authority officials. 

Santa Margarita Catholic High School plans to honor their star students in the coming weeks, although the teens reject the notion of being heroes. They feel they just did what needed to be done. Alex’s response to the harrowing experience is, "If there's a flipped car on fire, my first instinct is, 'They're going to die if we don't do something,'" 

I love the quote, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and this altruistic story backs up why.  Not all kids are “bad” and “irresponsible.” We all have within us the capacity to put others' lives before ourselves, no matter our age.

Let’s take a tip from Alex and Jeffrey and strive to always be willing to lend a hand to those in need.