Why dont more people help?

[JW_Halverson]

Training and experience can help, but I think there is the majority of the human race that stops to think and a small percentage that acts.  I have never been trained in any discipline such as EMT, military, lifeguard, or any other field where you have to just plain act on gut instinct.  But I have happened onto several situations where others fell apart and I just did what needed doing. 

My ADHD is overwhelming. Any distraction is THE FOCUS until the next distraction.  It is like living in a snowstorm of Post-It notes and I have to read and act on every one that instant.  There is no ability to filter and classify, everything is Priority One.  The last time I had clarity was the day I saw someone ahead of me skid out on an icy bridge and down into the ditch they went, almost rolling.  Next instant, I lost all four wheels' grip.  Clutch pedal to the floor, foot off the gas, stick moved to neutral, get the front wheels pointed straight down the road....and in very slow motion, I followed them into the ditch. As soon as my wheels were off the pavement into the snowy ditch, I knew traction was better, so I picked a lower gear and took my foot off the clutch to allow the rear wheels to create drag.  Straightened out, got under control, swerved around them and stopped.  I got them behind bridge abutments so they could not get hit by the other cars skidding out and I began dealing with one vehicle after another; two rollovers, one into a guardrail, and another slammed into the first vehicle into the ditch.  I had uninjured people heading up the road to flag traffic, had one person that seemed calm on the phone with 911 narrating injuries and counts of vehicles, and another person calling the State DOT shop half a mile up the road with a demand for a sanding truck immediately.  It was CLEAR within my head for just a few moments.  And maybe it was just these very few rare times, because other times I have stood rooted in place wondering what I should do. 

If everyone was always a hero, there would be no heroes by definition, only average.  Best just be glad that two heroes were there and were in a position to act. You have had enough stress on your plate this last two years, brother, gather your thoughts and form them into one huge deep breath of thanksgiving and let the rest go for now.  Love you, ok?

[JEB]

God Bless your son, wife and the two the rendered help.

[DC]

I worked with a woman that was the big push behind all the first aid stuff. All the classes, competitions and simulations she was right in there. One day she ran into a real accident. She saw real blood and was totally useless, just a quivering heap. You never know who will do what until the time comes.

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

I think in a situation like this there are more heroes that we think, as was said earlier many people are afraid to react while others do react, and I know I've been in situations where I was going to react but someone else reacted first so I stood down and observed in case I was needed after all. I think often in these situations if the hero who stepped up wasn't there then another hero would have stepped up, even if there is a slight delay I've seen footage where the hero was looking around for someone else to step up and seeing that no one had they got that obvious look of "no one is doing a thing, well I will".

[sleek]

I appreciate all the responses and opinions offered here. As well as all the sentiments.  Even a guy likes to know folks care about him and his family. My son is fine, and wanted to go to the beach again just two days ago.

This did get me to thinking.he had a hard time screaming for help,  and when trying not to drown, breath is valuable. So I want to make a CO2 powered wistle that attaches to a shirt pocket. If you need help, pull a cord and that baby will sing loud enough to be heard on a crowded beach no mater the distance. Make it float so it doesnt need to be held while struggling to swim. Was also thinking of an inflatable shirt co2 powered. Pull another rip coard and bicycleinner tubes sewn in inflate. That should do wonders for drown prevention.

In the shirt the shirt is thin light weight fabric, tubes sewn in flat so not to be bulky, and in location so as not to impeed swimming once inflated. 
 

[PatM]

They already have those for people who can't swim. They're called life jackets. 

[jaxenro]

"Last November, 33-year-old Antwan McNutt beat a man to death with a bottle of liquor on the South Side of Chicago. Onlookers took video and posted it to Facebook; no one intervened to help."

It seems no one even called 911 when it was going on but of course they filmed it

We are raising a generation of spectators who think that life is a TV show for their entertainment. I don't blame anyone for this it just is what it is

I will stop here as this is a good apolitical site and I respect that. 

[DC]

Here's a brave man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYoSPjlQvtg

[paulsemp]

Yes that guy was Brave but that girl's parents are stupid. who in their right mind lets their kid taunt an animal that probably weighs 3 to 400 pounds and is designed to kill. That animal was clearly agitated. Being brave is one thing but allowing your kid to do that is another. Something's in this world you just don't mess with. It's like when a killer whale kills one of its trainers it one of the aquarium's. And you hear everyone say  that's terrible but the truth is what did you think was going to happen when you decided to swim with a killer whale? Instead of the question where are all the heroes, the real question is where did everyone's common sense go?

[willie]

sea lions have learned to feed around fishing boats, it's a lot more productive than hunting for themselves.  The sealion was not agitated, the girls white dress (when she turned) looked like a sizable meal.The sea lions haul out on the floats and have learned to they can intimidated anyone trying to make them move. It is against the law anyone to "harass" a sealion, so they get pretty brave.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Stupid parents in that video. Sea lions have crazy teeth and eyes in the front of their head for a reason, they are always looking for food, meat to be exact. Lets play with them and get a selfy for Facebook, SOUNDS GREAT! Darwin's theory will continue to be played out in our dumbed down society.

[vinemaplebows]

She was screaming, pointing, and running towards him  her intention was to get to him, but she isnt in as good a shape as the two men who did respond and help. My wife is a navy vet,and a good swimmer.

Sleek,

 This post for the reasons I will point out really bothers me. Let me give you a couple of different situations where parents can and are charged with a crimes. 1. Firearms as Pat pointed out. If you have firearms in your house, and no matter how much you tell your children to stay away, don't touch, ect. even if you have them under lock and key......if your child gains access through negligence on your behalf, YOU will be charged with a crime if it leads to branishment in public, or death, your fault, you will be charged. 2. Someone said you there is a fine line between letting kids live their lives and not. True, but in the eyes of the law negligence does not fit into this ideology. Let's say you five yr old takes off down the road, you are a good parent and this under normal circumstances would never happen. An officer finds the kid 1 mile down the road, you could be charged with negligence, regardless of how good a parent you are. This is not a public issue, this is a parenting issue. The public can be helpful, and even now and then a hero may appear, but to expect it as your post indicates is plain ignorant! Don't expect the public to risk their lives for an adults irresponsible planning.

Knowing your child did not have the appropriate swimming abilities, no life guard on duty, and what baffles me even more no lifejacket, your wife's apparent inability to reach the child.....in my mind this is negligence.

I am very happy things worked out for you, as I could not imagine losing a child in front of me knowing my irresponsible actions may have contributed to my own child's demise......that would be heartbreaking to say the least. I think you really need to rethink what you posted, and where the blame truly lies, and it is not with the public!

This thread truly bothers me!