23 Real-Life American Heroes You Should Know
July 13, 2018 by Grant SunesonIt generally feels like only bad news dominate the headline. But every so often stories of exceptional heroism capture our attention — stories about ordinary citizens who overcame extraordinary circumstances to save others. Though it is uplifting to hear of these acts of selflessness, such heroism often emerges only through great sacrifice during troubled times and dangerous situations.
The deluge of bad news so far this year seems endless — from mudslides and floods to fires and shootings. But with them also came stories of heroic actions.
Many were performed by members of the military and first responders who went above and beyond the call of duty. Heroic actions in 2018 have involved police officers confronting school shooters, members of the U.S. Coast Guard rescuing people in the ocean, as well as off duty first responders saving lives by using their emergency training.
Ordinary citizens have also performed some of the year’s most notable acts of heroism. James Shaw Jr. garnered acclaim when he wrestled a gun away from a shooter who opened fire in a Waffle House. Teachers, NASCAR drivers, car executives, and even Hollywood superstars are on our list of heroes in 2018. Their quick reactions in emergency situations helped save lives.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed media reports of some of the year’s exceptional acts of heroism to find 23 of the nation’s most notable heroes.
Though there is no shortage of uplifting and inspiring stories, it is likely that many heroic actions go unrecognized. Several Americans have reported that their lives were saved by people who either shied away from any commendation or simply left the scene of an emergency without being identified.
Click here to see 23 real-life American heroes you should know.
1. Aaron Feis
> Location: Parkland, FL
> Date: Feb. 14
Aaron Feis was an assistant coach on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School football team. He was killed in the Feb. 14 shooting at the school when he reportedly used his body to shield three students from the shooter. Feis was one of many students and faculty who helped shield students and save lives during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.
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2. “Bill”
> Location: Columbus, OH
> Date: April 3
Police were pursuing an armed suspect in Columbus, Ohio when they got an assist from an unlikely source. A man identified only as “Bill” tripped the suspect as he ran near the library, which Bill had been visiting with his granddaughter. The suspect dropped his gun as a result of the fall, potentially saving lives — including his own. Police said on body camera footage that they very nearly shot the fleeing suspect after noticing the gun, only stopping because he dropped the firearm after being tripped.
3. Blaine Gaskill
> Location: Lexington Park, MD
> Date: March 20
Blaine Gaskill, a school resource officer stationed at Great Mills High School, responded when a shooter entered the school on March 20, 2018. The 17-year-old shooter killed one student and injured another before he was confronted by Gaskill, who drew his weapon and fired at the shooter, who simultaneously shot himself fatally in the head. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Gaskill may have saved the lives of additional students with his quick response.
4. Coast Guard Station Islamorada
> Location: Plantation Key, FL
> Date: July 5
Nine people on a snorkeling trip to the Hens and Chickens Reef off the southern coast of Florida were at risk of drowning when their boat capsized on July 5. Luckily, they were rescued by a crew from Coast Guard Station Islamorada. This type of heroism is typical for the Coast Guard. The military branch reportedly saves around 10 lives per day.
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5. Denice Miracle
> Location: Sacramento, CA
> Date: Aug. 31, 2017
American Airlines employee Denice Miracle may have saved two girls from being victims of human trafficking in 2017. Miracle noticed the underaged girls had small bags and saw their tickets had been flagged for being purchased by a fraudulent credit card. She alerted the police, who soon discovered the girls connected with a man on Instagram who said he would pay them $2,000 to appear in music videos in New York. Police believe the girls nearly fell prey to a human trafficking scheme. It may have worked if not for Miracle’s vigilance.
6. Emmanuel Mensah
> Location: New York, NY
> Date: Dec. 28, 2017
At the end of 2017 an apartment building in the Bronx went up in flames, killing 13 people — but it could have been even worse if it were not for the actions of Pfc. Emmanuel Mensah. After graduating from Army National Guard boot camp in Virginia, Mensah, who immigrated from Ghana, finally got to spend some time with his family at home — that apartment building. When the fire broke out, Mensah went in several times to help rescue family and neighbors. He saved four people before dying in the blaze. Investigators said he died searching for more survivors. Mensah was posthumously awarded the The Soldier’s Medal, the Army’s highest honor for actions outside the battlefield.
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7. Eric Thornton
> Location: Barnegat Light, NJ
> Date: June 4
Duncan Hutchinson, an amateur sailor, tried to raise money for the charity WaterAid by crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a homemade rowboat. He set off from Jersey City, but just four days into his journey, he ran into rough seas and his ship could barely stay afloat. Luckily, the Coast Guard was able to locate him, and petty officer 2nd class Eric Thornton and other members of Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light were able to rescue him 20 miles offshore before his boat went completely under.
8. Hunter Harris
> Location: Austin, TX
> Date: June 22
Chick-Fil-A worker Hunter Harris had one of the most eventful shifts of his career earlier this year when a customer started choking. Another patron tried to dislodge the food caught in his throat but was unsuccessful. Harris stepped in and used the Heimlich maneuver to save the man. Harris said he thinks any of his coworkers would have done the same and was glad that the man was doing well after the ordeal.
9. James Shaw Jr.
> Location: Antioch, TN
> Date: April 22
James Shaw Jr. gained national acclaim when he fought off a man who opened fire in a Waffle House restaurant late one night in April. Shaw wrestled the gun away from the assailant when the weapon jammed. Shaw was shot in the arm and burned his hand while grabbing the recently-fired rifle. Four were killed in the shooting, but many more may have died had Shaw not intervened.
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10. Jason Seaman
> Location: Noblesville, IN
> Date: May 25
When middle school science teacher Jason Seaman encountered a school shooter in May, he reportedly threw a basketball at him and then tackled him. Seaman was shot three times and a 13-year-old student was shot seven times, but both survived. Seaman may have saved many lives.
11. Jesse Iwuji
> Location: Grapevine, CA
> Date: June 24
Lower circuit NASCAR driver Jesse Iwuji is no stranger to dangerous automobiles. So when he was driving home from a racetrack and noticed a car on the shoulder of the highway had a small fire underneath, he knew it could be a dangerous situation. Iwuji, who is also a Navy lieutenant, helped the family of four get out of the car and away from the fire. Just after everyone had gotten away, the flames spread quickly and completely engulfed the van.
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12. Joe Manchin
> Location: Washington, D.C.
> Date: June 21
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin recently helped fellow Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri in a life-threatening situation. McCaskill began choking at a Democratic Caucus lunch. Two people tried and failed to clear her airway with the Heimlich maneuver before Manchin stepped in and dislodged the obstruction. McCaskill was left with sore ribs but said it wouldn’t stop her reelection campaigning.
13. Kevin Bartsch
> Location: New York, NY
> Date: March 28
When a man riding the New York City subway in Queens went into cardiac arrest, train conductor Kevin Bartsch leapt into action. Bartsch heard commotion from passengers and saw a man in distress, so he began chest compressions. EMT Christian Winn was stationed nearby and took over the compressions and prepared to use a defibrillator when the man’s condition suddenly improved. Bartsch and Winn were honored by the city for their quick actions.
14. Luke Wilson
> Location: Los Angeles, CA
> Date: Feb. 14
Actor Luke Wilson performed some real-life heroics on Valentine’s Day 2018 when he was involved in a major crash on a Los Angeles highway. Several cars collided and one flipped, leaving the driver trapped as smoke poured out of the vehicle. Wilson and others freed the driver from the wreck and dragged her to the side of the road.
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15. Maeve Juarez
> Location: Montecito, CA
> Date: Jan. 9
Deadly mudslides devastated Montecito, California in early 2018, leaving 21 people dead. But it might have been even worse if not for the actions of Maeve Juarez, a division group supervisor with the Montecito Fire Department, and her crew. Juarez’s team was sent to monitor a creek that is known to overflow during heavy rain. An unexpected gas explosion nearly killed Juarez, but she went back to the source of the blast to help people whose homes had just been destroyed. Juarez encountered a woman who suffered burns and broken bones after leaping from her second story window to escape the explosion and carried her to safety. She and her team searched through the night to rescue survivors of the explosion and flooding.
16. Mark Dallas
> Location: Dixon, IL
> Date: May 16
Dixon police officer Mark Dallas may have averted a deadly school shooting in May with his timely response. Dallas was stationed as a school resource officer at Dixon High School when police say a former student fired several shots near the school’s gym. Dallas pursued the suspect and the pair exchanged gunfire. Dallas was not hurt and the suspect reportedly sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was detained. No one else was hurt.
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17. Michael Chandler, Micah Wilks, Garrett Driscoll
> Location: Sugar Land, TX
> Date: May 5
Police officers often deal with traffic accidents, but few are as treacherous as the one officers Michael Chandler, Garrett Driscoll, and Micah Wilks encountered in Sugar Land, Texas, in May. A woman reportedly fell asleep behind the wheel and plunged her SUV into a lake known to have alligators. Wilks, Driscoll, and Chandler dove into the lake and smashed the car’s windows using a baton and even their bare hands. The officers pulled the woman from her vehicle just before it sank.
18. Nick St. Onge
> Location: Marietta, GA
> Date: May 15
Marietta, Georgia, police officer Nick St. Onge said he relied on his training to save the life of a young child. St. Onge received a call about an infant not breathing. When he arrived at the scene he found the baby had difficulty breathing and was turning blue. St. Onge delicately gave the baby CPR until her breathing improved. The family said the baby is now “doing great.”
19. Rachel Thomas, Mike Wu
> Location: Mt. Whitney, CA
> Date: June 10
Coast Guard lieutenants Rachel Thomas and Mike Wu were off duty when they became part of an important rescue operation. The pair were climbing Mount Whitney in California when they saw three climbers fall over 500 feet down a slope. Thomas and Wu helped stabilize the climbers, who suffered head injuries and broken bones in the fall, and called for help. The two were given commendation medals for their actions.
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20. Ralph Gilles
> Location: Addison Township, MI
> Date: Feb. 18
In February, Fiat Chrysler executive Ralph Gilles used his vehicle to potentially save a life at the scene of a deadly wreck. After two cars, a Ford Edge and Ford Fiesta, had collided in Addison Township, Michigan, a third vehicle plowed into the wreck, causing the Edge to catch fire. Gilles, concerned the flames would spread to the Fiesta while its occupants were still trapped inside, used his Jeep Wrangler to push the Edge a safe distance away. One of the two people in the Fiesta later died from her injuries, but firefighters said the situation could have been worse if not for Gilles and his Jeep.
21. Scott Beigel
> Location: Parkland, FL
> Date: Feb. 14
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School geography teacher Scott Beigel was one of 17 people killed in the February shooting at the Florida high school. Beigel was reportedly killed saving a student’s life. He opened the door to his classroom to help a student escape the shooter. The student told CNN “he unlocked the door, I ran in, and unfortunately he did not run in with me.”
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22. Victor Mozqueda
> Location: Sequoia National Park, CA
> Date: June 23
Victor Mozqueda died a hero after saving a 5-year-old boy from drowning in Sequoia National Park. The boy slipped and fell in a river and was unable to stay above water. Mozqueda, along with other good Samaritans, jumped in the water to rescue the boy, even though he did not know how to swim. Mozqueda was able to keep the boy’s head above water and push him out of the current before being dragged underwater.
23. Wendi Winters
> Location: Annapolis, MD
> Date: June 28
Five people were killed when a gunman opened fire in the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, in late June. Survivors of the attack say the death toll might have been higher if not for the actions of reporter Wendi Winters. The mother of four was killed after reportedly charging the gunman, armed only with a trash can and a recycling bin, potentially giving survivors crucial time to escape. Capital Gazette reporter Rachel Pacella told The Baltimore Sun, “Wendi Winters saved my life.”
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