TOLLAND, Connecticut (WFSB) — An 11-year-old boy in Connecticut is being hailed as a hero tonight after his quick actions helped save his bus driver during a medical emergency.
The driver collapsed with a bus full of students, and fortunately, one young man kept calm and made sure the driver got the help she needed.
Will Restall is the kind of boy that inspires moms to brag, at least a little.
“He's just a great kid, he really is,” said Tara Restall, Will’s mother.
Tara was surprised yesterday morning when the phone rang and Tolland Middle School showed up in the caller ID.
“I got a call from Will's principal saying that there had been an incident,” said Tara.
But Will wasn't in any trouble.
“She called him a hero,” said Tara.
Will’s bus driver had suffered a scary medical emergency while she was parked outside the school.
She collapsed out of her chair and down the stairs.
Most of the students on the packed school bus froze in fear.
“They just sat there in shock, they didn't know what to do,” Will said.
Will was scared too, but he sprang into action anyway.
He remembered bus safety training tips he learned last year and walked swiftly to the front of the vehicle.
“I just grabbed the walkie talkie and said that she fell and she needed medical help,” said Will.
No one answered Will's first call but after several attempts he reached a dispatcher who called for an ambulance.
The bus company says the driver is expected to be ok and Will's quick actions may have made a big difference.
“He was really trying to downplay what he had done. But, we kept telling him, ‘Will you really helped you saved her,” said Tim Restall, Will’s father.
Word spread quickly after Tim wrote about his son's bravery on Facebook, and the response was overwhelming.
“As a proud parent that's all you can hope for,” Tim said.
But heroes still have to do homework. Will says all the attention is a little weird, but it's also kind of cool.
“It just feels good,” said Will.
The bus company issued a statement saying, “We are thankful the student was able to help. The bus driver is home, resting and recovering and is expected to be OK.”
