Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
John Walls>> For Chris O'Neill it was just another day on the job as a realtor
in Lake Oswego, Oregon
he was out one day driving around the lake, looking at new listings
and he came around a corner and what he saw then
was anything but ordinary.
Chris O'Neill: Two or three times I was going to take a left turn
to go to my office, but for whatever reason
I took right turns and I
came over a bridge that connects our main lake
to another portion of the lake and
I saw this lady frantically waving her arms
in the middle of the road and as I'm seeing this
I'm seeing her car careen up over the bridge and
over atop itself and hanging by just the front wheel
it still defies physics how it didn't fall in the lake at that point
So I immediately dialed 911
and I pulled over and I said don't worry I've already called 911
and they're on their way.
John Walls: For some reason the news that help was on the way
didn't seem to be reassuring and Chris couldn't quite figure out why.
Yes, the car was still running. It was hanging there on the ledge.
but it seemed like everything was under control, but it wasn't
O'Neill: When I got out she informed me that
her four year old son was trapped in the backseat in his car seat
So, that changed everything in a hurry.
So I got his name walked in
got in, climbed in the car and my first thought
you kind of go through a check list of everything
you need to do, so I unlocked the doors and rolled the windows down
because, I figured we were going in the water
and my first thought was that I need to get him in my control
because, he's four and probably doesn't know how to swim
how to hold his breathe and we're going to go in the water
and have to swim out.
so, I wanted to make sure we can get out if that became the case.
Fortunately, it didn't.
and, uhm, he did everything I asked him to do
I unbuckled him and as the car was teetering back and forth
kind of like the movie where you're expecting the bird to land on it
and that'll tip us over, but
I pulled him out and at that point the fire and police had shown up
the rest is history
Walls: It sure looks like that Chris's actions on that day
were extraordinary under the circumstances
but, he says the real heroes of the day were the 911 operator and his cellphone
O'Neill: They were fabolous, you know in keeping her calm
because, you can tell her from going here, to maybe here
not all the way down here, but it had gone down a few rungs of nervousness and hysteria
I guess 911 was always there, but to know you have them at your disposal
at any time it's a utility that you can't put a price on
To know that you have them at a moments notice
you can get the people, the personnel you need
Wherever it is that you are, and whatever it is that you need, that is priceless.