A 27-year-old man, Ebro Ahmed, reportedly of Somali origin and a dual citizen of Somalia and the United States, has been awarded $1,000 for helping save 19 students after their school bus driver suffered a medical emergency.
According to surveillance footage later broadcast publicly, Ahmed was playing football near the road when he noticed a school bus moving erratically towards an area with numerous trees. Realising the students were in danger, he ran after the bus, climbed aboard and managed to bring it to a stop.
The incident occurred in St. Paul, Minnesota, and attracted widespread attention. Government officials, military officers, emergency responders, environmental advocates, journalists, parents of the students and other members of the public subsequently sought to meet Ahmed.
In an interview, Ahmed said he noticed that the bus was moving abnormally and decided to intervene to save the students on board. Drawing on his driving skills, he managed to stop the vehicle, allowing all 19 students to get off safely.
Although Ahmed has received advice on how to protect himself if he encounters a similar emergency in the future, authorities in St. Paul have hailed him as a hero whose courage and selflessness made a significant contribution to the community.
While some reports have identified Ahmed as being of Eritrean origin, other accounts describe him as Somali. He lives in Minnesota, a state with a sizeable Somali-American community, and his actions have earned widespread praise for his bravery and determination to save the students.
Mustaqbal
