Special Report
30 Real-Life American Heroes You Should Know
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Among the heroes you should know about this month are a police officer, a fearless man who intervened in a knife attack, and a celebrity chef.
Deputy Taylor Grant, relatively new on the job in Florida, scaled a wall to reach a man pinned between a seawall and a floating walkway. He was able to pull the exhausted man out of the water.
Blaine Hodge flouted fear and took on a knife-wielding attacker who had chased a woman into a Starbucks cafe in Bakersfield, California. Hodge sustained stab wounds and was hospitalized, but he possibly prevented a tragedy.
Celebrity chef José Andrés owns two dozen restaurants in the United States. But when disaster impacts a community, such as Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas. Andrés and his team step up to provide meals for those displaced by disaster.
These three people are just the latest examples of everyday heroism that are part of the fabric of the American community.
To compile 24/7 Wall St.’s list, we used information from media outlets such as CNN, theweek.com, as well as websites that focus on reporting inspiring news like positivenews.com, and thegoodnewsnetwork.org.
Click here to see 30 real-life American heroes you should know.
1. Jose Andrés
> Location: North Carolina
> Date: Sept. 17
When disaster strikes, celebrity chef José Andrés doesn’t run from it, he runs toward it. In 2017, Andrés and his team served 3.6 million meals to people in Puerto Rico after the island was stricken by Hurricane Maria. His charity work continued this year when he served 150,000 meals to those in need in North Carolina following Hurricane Florence. Andrés’ latest effort follows similar charitable acts in Guatemala after a volcano eruption there, and in California, feeding first responders as they battled wildfires. Andrés, who has more than two-dozen restaurants in the United States, operates the nonprofit World Central Kitchen to help feed the hungry.
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2. Mario Alexander
> Location: Marietta, Georgia
> Date: Sept. 9
Seventeen-year-old Mario Alexander helped save the lives of two co-workers at a Target store in Marietta, Georgia. After two people were stabbed during a robbery at the Target store, Alexander, a corporal in the Cobb County Police Explorer program, jumped into action. He placed a tourniquet on the arm of one employee who was stabbed in the arm, then put gauze and pressure on the wound of another worker who had been stabbed in the neck. Both stabbing victims were reported to be recovering from their wounds.
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3. Blaine Hodge
> Location: Bakersfield, California
> Date: Sept. 9
When a knife-wielding attacker chased a woman into a Starbucks cafe in Bakersfield, California, other people fled. Not Blaine Hodge. He put himself between the assailant and the woman. Hodge and the woman were stabbed, but the police arrived and grabbed the attacker. Both Hodge and the woman were taken to a hospital and listed in critical but stable condition. A GoFundMe page was set up for Hodge, who thanked friends and supporters on several videos. “I appreciate all your concerns and hopes and prayers that have been going up,” he said on one video. “I’m gonna make it out of this okay.”
4. Taylor Grant
> Location: New Port Richey, Florida
> Date: Sept. 6
Deputy Taylor Grant has been with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office for only 18 months, but he’s already made a positive impact. Grant scaled a wall that was much taller than himself, sprinted to a dock, and saved the life of a drowning man trapped between the seawall and a floating walkway. According to the wife of the man, he had been in the water for about 30 minutes.
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5. Mitchell Rose
> Location: Brooklyn, New York
> Date: Sept. 2
A former heavyweight boxer notched his most important victory earlier this month. Mitchell Rose, 49, was eating at an East New York restaurant at 11 p.m. when an SUV collided with another car at an intersection near the restaurant. As smoke was filling up the SUV, Rose realized the five women and a man were trapped in the vehicle. He used his sweet science skills to punch out the back window, slashing his hand with the blow. But the passengers were rescued and taken to a hospital.
6. Leo Nunes
> Location: Elizabeth, New Jersey
> Date: Aug. 26
A 1-year-old girl is alive today because of the action of Elizabeth, New Jersey police officer Leo Nunes. The officer responded to a call at a residence around 5:30 p.m., where he found an unresponsive child — the child had been underwater in a pool for about a minute. He administered CPR on the girl and revived her. She was taken to a hospital where she stayed for 24 hours and was reportedly doing well.
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7. Chloe Carrion
> Location: Fairfax County, Virginia
> Date: Aug. 14
Ten-year-old Chloe Carrion can take a bow for saving the life of her newborn cousin, with the help of YouTube videos. Chloe was home with her pregnant aunt. The aunt went into labor before she could get to the hospital and she gave birth to a boy in the bathroom of Chloe’s home. Her aunt handed the baby to Chloe and passed out after losing much blood. Chloe called 911. She then remembered YouTube videos she had seen about taking care of baby dolls, such as swaddling and cleaning the baby. Chloe even cut the umbilical cord, as the 911 dispatchers talked her through the procedure.
8. Michael Laferrera
> Location: Bogota, New Jersey
> Date: Aug. 12
It’s been said that rain on your wedding day is good luck. For bride Sabrina Torens and groom Connor Reilly, they’ll take Michael Laferrera as a sign of good luck. Laferrera, a Bogota, New Jersey, police officer, rescued Torens from her car after it was inundated with flood waters from a nearby brook. Laferrera stood on top of a police vehicle as water rose to its headlights. He offered his hand to the new bride, and Torens grabbed his hand and climbed on to the police vehicle.
9. Sonia Ramirez
> Location: Queens, New York
> Date: Aug. 4
Sonia Ramirez of Queens in New York City broke the fall of a 2-year-old boy, who had been dangling from the fire escape ladder outside his family’s apartment for five minutes on Aug. 4. The child attempted to ascend further up the fire escape before coming to a halt and releasing his grip. Ramirez did her best to catch the 49-pound toddler, but dropped him because of the fall’s velocity. Her efforts prevented far worse injury for the boy.
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10. Jessie Ferreira Cavallo
> Location: Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
> Date: Aug. 3
For Jessie Ferreira Cavallo, there is no such thing as off-duty. Cavallo, a police officer in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, was driving to work when she saw a 12-year-old boy climb over a guardrail on the Saw Mill River Parkway and tumble down onto concrete. She stopped her car, grabbed first-aid materials, and leapt down to where the boy was. Another woman helped Cavallo put the boy in a neck brace and splint, and the boy was then transported by ambulance to Westchester Medical Center.
11. Shane Drossard
> Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
> Date: Aug. 3
Shane Drossard may be homeless, but he is also a hero. Drossard of Minneapolis, Minnesota, pulled a woman from the river after a suicide attempt. The woman, who leapt from the Washington Avenue Bridge, survived the plunge into the river but was getting pulled by the powerful current. Drossard, who was beneath the bridge, heard the woman’s voice and rushed to her rescue. After retrieving her from the water, he told the woman she was beautiful, that she had so much to live for, and he was not going to let go of her.
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12. Zac Edwards
> Location: Orange Beach, Alabama
> Date: Aug. 2
Zac Edwards put new meaning into taking the plunge earlier this month. After he said “I do” on Orange Beach, Alabama to his wife Cindy, Edwards, Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class, was approached by a woman who told him there was a man in the ocean struggling to get to shore. Edwards bolted into the surf with a flotation device and attempted to keep the man’s head above water. A strong current prevented him from getting the man ashore, however, and a lifeguard was able to rescue both men.
13. Family of Kapua Kawelo and Joby Rohrer
> Location: Lanai, Hawaii
> Date: Early August
A family from Hawaii rescued a whale shark — the world’s largest fish — that had become entangled in a fishing net off the coast of Hawaii earlier this month. Kapua Kawelo and Joby Rohrer, who are marine biologists, were swimming with their children off the coast of Lanai, Hawaii, when they saw a net wrapped around the neck of the 20-foot whale shark. Rohrer made five different dives of up to 60 feet and used a knife to free the shark.
14. Unidentified man
> Location: Chicago, Illinois
> Date: Jul. 26
In a community distrustful of law enforcement officers, a local Good Samaritan was hailed for his heroism for helping an injured cop. After a police vehicle swerved and slammed into a tree on Chicago’s South Side, the man pulled the police officer from the smoking car. Passerby Kevin Russell captured the Good Samaritan’s act on video. “People think that people of color and police don’t get along and don’t have a good relationship, but in a situation like this when something incredible happens, you do the right thing,” Russell said.
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15. Oregon Army National Guard
> Location: Mount Hood
> Date: Early July
A 27-year-old Texan considered committing suicide from the summit of Mount Hood in Oregon, and then changed his mind. However, he needed help to get down the mountain. Weather conditions were dangerous, and because of the warm weather, avalanches were possible. Rescuers managed to reach the man on foot. To get them all off the mountain safely, Oregon Army National Guard helicopter pilots managed a “pinnacle landing” — meaning parking the helicopter with just the two rear wheels on the mountainside with the rest of the craft in the air. Because this angled the helicopter, the rotors were extremely low and rescuers had to duck under the rotors to board the vehicle. Everyone was able to board safely.
16. Coast Guard Station Islamorada
> Location: Plantation Key, Florida
> 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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17. Jesse Iwuji
> Location: Grapevine, California
> Date: June 24
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.
18. Hunter Harris
> Location: Austin, Texas
> 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.
19. 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 re-election campaigning.
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20. Rachel Thomas, Mike Wu
> Location: Mt. Whitney, California
> 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.
21. Eric Thornton
> Location: Barnegat Light, New Jersey
> 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.
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22. Jason Seaman
> Location: Noblesville, Indiana
> 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. A GoFundMe page was set up for Seaman to pay his medical bills.
23. Mark Dallas
> Location: Dixon, Illinois
> 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.
24. 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.”
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25. Michael Chandler, Micah Wilks, Garrett Driscoll
> Location: Sugar Land, Texas
> 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 drove 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.
26. “Bill”
> Location: Columbus, Ohio
> 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.
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27. Kevin Bartsch
> Location: New York, New York
> 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, even though it is against Metropolitan Transportation Authority rules to touch a passenger. 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.
28. Luke Wilson
> Location: Los Angeles, California
> 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.
29. Maeve Juarez
> Location: Montecito, California
> 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.
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30. Denice Miracle
> Location: Sacramento, California
> Date: Aug. 17, 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.
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