Windsor man rescues girl lying on snowy street as others pass her by

[n2doc]

Trevor Wilhelm

Passersby likely assumed it was just a homeless person, so they ignored the young girl lying on the snowy sidewalk.

That’s what seasoned Street Help/Unit 7 volunteer Brandt Huber believes after saving the life of a missing 13-year-old girl. He found her Thursday morning lying barely conscious in plain sight on a busy street.

“It’s shocking to know that some people are so caught up in what they’re doing that they can’t stop and help somebody in need,” said Huber.

“You couldn’t miss her from two blocks away. I’m sure people driving by saw her and ignored her. They probably thought she was an older person, maybe drinking, or they were busy and they just ignored her. Maybe just a homeless person and just brushed off that person laying there.”

Police said the girl was reported missing by her parents around 7:45 a.m. Thursday after they woke up and realized she was gone. Huber stumbled across her around 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

more

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2014/01/23/windsor-man-rescues-young-girl-lying-on-snowy-street-as-others-pass-her-by/

WTF is wrong with people? It would be fine to ignore a person in the freezing cold, so long as they were "homeless"? I'm glad at least there was one caring person there.

[shenmue]

1. :(

[El_Johns]

2. Even homeless people don't normally lie on the sidewalk in the snow.

[Matariki]

3. "just a homeless person"

[Scuba]

47. Disgusting, eh?

[polly7]

4. That's just beyond sad.

WTF indeed ... I can't even imagine passing by someone laying down, especially in the winter.

[theHandpuppet]

5. Had a simliar experience about 3 months ago

I was driving home and saw what appeared to be a woman collapsed on the sidewalk at a crosswalk. There were plenty of people around on the street and in their yards, some sitting on porches next to the scene, and tweeners on scooters who stopped by the collapsed person just long enough to take a look and go on. I stopped my car in the middle of the street (turned on the flashers) and went to check on the person. Turns out it was a teenage girl walking home from H.S. who had collapsed from an epileptic seizure, her backpack and books scattered next to her. She was both stiff and seizing. I finally convinced one of the neighbors to stop yakking on her cellphone long enough to call 911. With the help of a local kid we located a nurse who lived nearby and she tended the girl until an ambulance arrived.
Don't know how long this poor kid had been laying there but I was so damn frustrated! There are a lot of homeless and addicts in the neighborhood and I guess no one wanted to get involved, as if they are any less deserving of compassion. Some admitted they saw the girl laying there but wouldn't say why they didn't check on her. A young couple right across the street from the whole scene were in their yard watching the whole time but hid behind a fence, as if the poor girl was Typhoid Mary.
What the hell is wrong with us?
Thank goodness the girl was okay after a short stay in the hospital.
While I'm at it, a short note to parents -- PLEASE make sure your child has your address and a contact number on them somewhere, even in their school backpack or whatever. We frantically went through the girl's backpack and books looking for some info so I could call her parents but there was nothing. If an emergency like this should happen to YOUR child, responders need to be able to reach you!
I've gone through several experiences like this over the years, so what folks will or won't do never surprises me any more.

[NJCher]

9. my answer to that is

For the most part, humans are pretty much useless beings. As a species, they're not going to survive. There isn't really much to recommend them.

On occasion, one is surprised by them--but mostly they are not really interested or capable of caring for their fellow being.

Now granted, this is negative but it's really not in the big picture. Humans are just one type of being in a vast universe teaming with all kinds of life. Not every species will make it, and this one almost certainly won't.

Humans couldn't even handle their own genetic modifications without messing it up.

Pitiful.


Cher

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

11. "What the hell is wrong with us?"

I believe that most Americans are programmed to be sheep. Don't make waves.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

13. Which "us"?

This time, for once, the incident is not in the U.S. No American involved.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

14. Point taken, but it also doesn't change my belief in my former statement.

[quakerboy]

21. You do know that Canada is in the Americas as well, eh?

In North America even, just like the US of A. We all Americans up on this continent.

Also, there is a massive amount of cultural drift from the US to other places, and Canada especially so. Canada ain't the place of politeness that it once was. Canada is pretty much just like the USA only lagging about 10-15 years, depending on province. For instance, they have recently discovered road rage up in BC, and 90's era boy bands across Ontario.

[Art_from_Ark]

27. Having spent considerable time in Canada,

I can tell you that Canadians do not refer to themselves as "Americans". In fact, many of the Canadians I talked to liked to emphasize that they were NOT Americans. "Americans" without a modifier (North, Central, South) is a term that is used to refer to citizens of the United States of America.

[quakerboy]

33. Having spent considerable time

with a wife who is Canadian, I can tell you that they absolutely DO point out that Canada is in America, and therefore they are Americans at any time they may feel that you as a US citizen is getting a little too full of themselves or USAcentric in your thinking.

Canadians are Americans too. But we from the USA have pretty well appropriated the title in common usage.

[Art_from_Ark]

36. Canadians are *North* Americans

but all their nationality is *Canadian*. People from the United States are both *North Americans*, and *Americans*. You go to nearly anyplace in the world and tell the locals that you are American, and they will automatically assume that you are from the USA, not Canada, and not Mexico or anyplace south of there.

[Dorian Gray]

38. That's why traveling Canadians

wear maple leafs on their backpacks? To tell the world they are "Americans?"

I get your point, though all my friends from Canada (and I have a fair number because I taught in a school populated by Canadian teachers in Asia) would say they were North American or of the Americas if it came to it. But they would never self identify as an American.

[crim son]

48. Being Canadian

we know we live in North America but no way in hell do we identify as Americans. No thanks.

[hfojvt]

30. hard to tell where "Windsor" is.

Windsor, California?
Windsor, Connecticut?
Windsor, New York?
Windsor, North Carolina?
Windsor, Vermont?

Granted, all of those combined are not as big as Windsor, Ontario, but it just so happens that some of my ancestors were some of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut, so when I see just "Windsor" I, at least, am thinking "Windsor, Connecticut".

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

40. Based on another section of the OP link, my guess is ...

... Ontario.

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/category/news/the-border/

Windsor - it's not just another way to knot a necktie.

[Quantess]

41. Not just Americans.

I can think of many other places in the world where this could happen.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

42. I can only speak for my own little corner of the world.

If it were happening daily around the world, and was reported so, then I might have more of a rebuttal.

[Quantess]

44. No need.

No biggie, just a minor comment, that's all.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. 20/20 'what would u do' showed that people are waiting from cue from others, 4 a leader

To act, give them cue that event is emergency that requires action. You were the leader in this case

[theHandpuppet]

22. Sometimes it goes beyond that, though

Last edited Sat Jan 25, 2014, 08:36 PM - Edit history (1)

One incident in which I was involved some 30 or so years ago still bothers me to this day. In my car again, I come across a scene where a man -- apparently in some kind of medical crisis -- had passed out behind the wheel and crashed his car into a pole. The man's foot was stuck on the gas so the engine was going full bore and smoke was not only pouring out from around the vehicle but was filling up the interior of the car so thickly you could barely make out the man inside. I slammed on my brakes, got out and managed to get the poor guy out of the car, with emergency responders arriving a short time later. But this is what got me -- there had to be a crowd of 30-40 grown people, mostly men, standing around doing nothing (at a safe distance, of course, lest the car blow up). Well, they weren't exactly doing nothing because quite a few of them were laughing. LAUGHING! I was so disgusted with the lot of them. This goes way beyond waiting for someone to take charge. I will never get over that image in my mind.

[Liberal_in_LA]

23. nowadays some would be filming AND laughing. really sad

[theHandpuppet]

24. No kidding

Some folks would be having a race to see who could get to YouTube first! By the way, that couple I mentioned in my first story who were cowering behind the chain-link fence while that poor girl was in distress -- they had their cellphone out snapping pics the whole time. I could tell what I would like to have done with that phone but I'll refrain.

[mahina]

6. This is a question for each of us. Why don't we, individually, why don't you, help homeless people?

Assuming we do, but we don't always.

I know I do, sometimes, but not always.

A woman was having what looked like seizures in front of a fast food place when I was driving by on a really congested street. I pulled up on the sidewalk and attended to her. The huddle of homeless people on the bench next to her and the area, full of homeless people, gave me to think she was homeless. I'm not trained in CPR or any medical anything. (got CPR training 25 years ago and never kept it up). I stopped and risked pissing off everybody behind me who was slowed by my car's rear sticking out into the right lane because it looked like she might be immediate danger.

I don't stop or help most of the time because I don't want to be responsible for a person who is beyond my capacity to help.
I don't want to bring a crazy person home to my family to deal with for safety reasons. There is so much unknown.

How about you?

[polly7]

10. I think it used to be more that people were afraid,

now it seems like so many have just gotten mean - what/who doesn't affect them personally, doesn't matter.

I always help, partly because I was trained to for EMS, but mostly because I couldn't 'not'. Which is why I'm glad in a way I live in a rural area, seeing so many who do need help in the city just kills me.

[VA_Jill]

15. So you can't call 911?

That would be helping. Even if they've already been notified, they will tell you. It doesn't matter if the person is homeless, they are still a human being.

[mahina]

25. Didn't say that.

Nice to meet you.

Bye now.

[enlightenment]

26. The first time I took the Red Cross CPR/First Aid course

(many, MANY years ago), the instructor told the class something I have never forgotten. There were people in the class who were not taking it because they chose to - they had been sent by their companies to learn. Their first question to the instructor was "why should we learn this?"

What he said was this:

Imagine that you are standing with a group of people. Some you know; some you don't.
Suddenly one of them collapses. They are having a heart "attack".

Assume that no one in the group - including you - knows how to help them in any way. You all stand, helpless - you don't know what to do, and you're afraid you might do something wrong. So you do nothing except hope the paramedics get there in time.

But they don't. And the person dies.

Now imagine that you know what to do, so within the limits of your skill and techniques, you start emergency life support. You know you are not a professional, but you are the person in the group who can DO something. So you do it - and you continue your efforts until the paramedics get there.

The person still dies.

The question to ask yourself -the question anyone should ask themselves is: How would you rather live? Knowing that you took the time to learn how to help, so at least you could try - or knowing that you couldn't be bothered or were too afraid to learn or didn't want to be responsible . . . so you did nothing.

The person is dead. You are still alive and you have to decide how you would rather live. Having tried, or having stood by.

[mahina]

28. Great thought, thank you.

[riderinthestorm]

29. + 1000 nt

[nilesobek]

34. Of course.

They must be crazy because they lost the poker game of capitalism. They simply must be insane because they have no money for a roof over their head.

You did do a great thing by helping that woman. Thank you for that.

[mahina]

49. Oh come on.

To your first comment, no, obviously, tbat is not so. But enough women have been killed by crazy people, thank you, I'll pass. I am not going to go dig out the headlines just in Honolulu, will leave that to you if you like, but they are too many.

[nilesobek]

64. Yes you should do that,

protect your family. I don't even know what the statistics are concerning how many crazy, drunken and drugged homeless people are out there vs. homeless people who are just homeless because they are broke. It just bothers me to characterize them in some ways.

Just the fact that you did stick your neck out for a hurting stranger is enough for me.

[Mnemosyne]

7. Good human, need more. Curious about how the girl ended up there though.

[WillyT]

8. K & R !!!

[Pakid]

12. Ask yourself

What kind of nation have we become. And if you answer honestly it will not be pretty. What can we do to change it?

[sufrommich]

45. Although we need to ask that,this happened in Windsor

Ontario.

[Octafish]

16. That guy probably saved her life. It was about 8-degrees Fahrenheit Thursday.

Last edited Sun Jan 26, 2014, 09:09 AM - Edit history (1)

-13C.

[PowerToThePeople]

31. Negative 13

13C is springtime.

[Octafish]

32. Sorry, my bad. Thanks for the correction.

Forgot the minus. Hope never to forget the girl.

[dembotoz]

17. the story in the bible about the good samaritan had a real impact in my life.

not saying this person was a christian

do not know
does not matter

but damnit we have to pay attention to the needs of others

[Chemisse]

18. Even if you don't want to get involved,

And even if you think it's a homeless person (?!), it takes so little effort to call 911.

A lot of homeless people have died this winter. It is inexcusable for us as a society to let this happen, and it is more than inexcusable for us as individuals to see it right in front of us on the sidewalk, and do nothing.

The fact that this girl was not homeless is irrelevant.

[Faygo Kid]

19. . . .and, here's how the FReepers see it

Sympathy for the 13-year-old girl? Nah. Congrats and thanks to the rescuer? Nah. I just stumbled on this, and will save you the trouble of going over to that shitstain site. This is a typical series:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: rickmichaels
The story doesn’t elaborate on why a 13-year-old girl was out on the street in the first place? Big hole in the story.

Not an excuse, but I’d venture that some people passed by because they didn’t want to be accused of trying to molest a child.

15 posted on Saturday, January 25, 2014 3:04:25 PM by PLMerite
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: PLMerite

Not an excuse, but I’d venture that some people passed by because they didn’t want to be accused of trying to molest a child.

The potential for liability is endless. It could be also a prank, or a setup for extortion, with her "big brother" hiding nearby and ready to accuse you.

Today the most reasonable response would be to call 911, anonymously, and then remain in the area to make sure they find the victim.

16 posted on Saturday, January 25, 2014 3:40:45 PM by Greysard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: Greysard; PLMerite
"The potential for liability is endless."

So the decades of influences of judicial lobbies, feminist lobbies, other judicial predator groups and the most influential constituents are killing people along with tossing the remainder of the middle class into homelessness.

17 posted on Saturday, January 25, 2014 4:18:22 PM by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: Greysard
Another way lawyers have destroyed society.

18 posted on Saturday, January 25, 2014 4:20:04 PM by dfwgator

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3115641/posts

[Patiod]

43. As usual, Freepers show little reading comprehension.

All their whining about liability? Did they not see this was Canada?

Also, do they want a LAXER approach to molestation?

15+ years ago in Center City Philadelphia, my SO came upon the same situation described in the article. And people just walked right past. He did CPR and found a cop who got an ambulance there. Turns out she was 22 and it was idiopathic cardiomyopathy, and she had to get a pacemaker, but she survived.

We still discuss why people didn't stop. His own mother said "Are you crazy? She could have had AIDS!" (old school CPR). He got more negative, Freeper-like responses from friends and family than he got positive DU responses.

[Egalitarian Thug]

35. K&R It's like a horrible disease has spread across the whole nation.

Remember that woman that was stabbed in NYC and people pretended to not be home as she staggered from door to door, bleeding to death? It was a huge national scandal and branded New Yorkers for a generation.

Would be a top 10 Tweat today. Probably happened today and didn't even get a Tweat.

[heaven05]

37. Doesn't surprise me in the least

Last edited Sun Jan 26, 2014, 11:05 AM - Edit history (2)

we as citizens of different countries and cultures are slowly being desensitized to the the cruelty and barbarity present on our world/planet. Until we, en mass, start fighting this with, first, love and then with demands for economic equality around the world, we are, as the human race, doomed. We will continue to allow the historical cycle of the rich to wage war against the poor(the french revolution comes to mind) by buying elections and corrupt politicians who lead by cruelty (cutting off of much needed food benefits comes to mind) and deceit. (most politicians come to mind) I hope people start getting fed up with the obvious distractions and lies. Faux news and rushpig comes to mind from among many. It's going to take ALL people with a conscience to vote their conscience to stem this tide of war, famine and pitilessness present in the human race at this juncture of history.

[Dorian Gray]

39. Very sad

I'm thrilled she got help and was found so quickly after being reported missing. Here in NYC a missing child story just had a tragic ending, so I'm happy when they don't.

The people ignoring her, though... a very sad statement on society in general.

[W.J. McCabe]

46. Brought to You By: A Selfish Society

Where greed rules.

[L0oniX]

50. Compassion is NOT taught in school.

[QuestForSense]

53. Nor at home, apparently, by example.

[Android3.14]

59. Excuse me?

My mother was a teacher, and she most certainly taught compassion.
Where the hell do you come up with that sort of bullshit?

[L0oniX]

60. "Where the hell do you come up with that sort of bullshit?"

The bullshit is all yours. Just because your mom might have taught some compassion does not mean there are a lot of teachers doing the same thing ...but nice try. Oh ...and apparently she didn't teach you to be civil with your response.

[Android3.14]

61. Your response shows prideful ignorance.

It is a character flaw, and you should be aware of it.
Most schools have as a graduation requirement a community service component. Many primary classes do projects in which they create art for persons at local senior centers, homeless shelters, hospitals and any number of acts of kindness. Schools regularly sponsor fundraisers for local families in need.
My response was incredulity at your obtuse statement, and it was appropriate.
You do not know what you are talking about.

[L0oniX]

62. Well since you are trying to insult me I might as well put you on ignore.

Enjoy your stay here ...and good luck.

[Eleanors38]

51. Very sad. Perhaps the on-line world is merging with that "other" world.

Communities can change. Here in Austin, when the weather turns cold, there is a good bit of news about shelters on the tube, homeless advocates (and we have good ones) swing into action, and the homeless themselves watch out for others.

How does this help a non-homeless person? It raises awareness, and puts the community on the lookout for Anyone who is in dire circumstances. People still die from exposure here (sometimes when the temps reach 110°), but it isn't because someone sees, but does not act.

[The Straight Story]

52. That was very benevolent of him

Hopefully more people will learn not to judge and act based on looks. Used to be a time when you saw someone laying on the sidewalk you found it odd/alarming.

[redqueen]

54. Grind that axe. Your priorities are interesting.

"benevolent" indeed

[redqueen]

55. I wish I was surprised that no one else stopped to help.

We as a society have become inured to homelessness. The bible itself teaches us to be inured to poverty.

I hope she's ok now, and I hope if a third-party was maliciously involved in the circumstances that led to her being there, that they are caught and punished harshly.

[littlewolf]

56. the only thing I can say is this:

I am glad this person stopped and helped.
as far as people not getting involved
some people will remember this

Catherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese (July 7, 1935 – March 13, 1964)

[kcr]

57. The Kitty Genovese story that people watched and didn't help is a myth

7. Most people watching the Kitty Genovese murder (source of "bystander effect" research) did not offer help.

The infamous murder of Kitty Genovese murder in March of 1964 in front of dozens of passive bystanders stimulated research by social psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latane to investigate the theory of "diffusion of responsibility." Darley and Latane's research showed that the larger the number of bystanders, the less likely any one person is to help. However, the true Genovese story didn't play out quite as described in most intro psych books. In fact, many people tried to help and were unable to due to the fact that the deadly assault did not take place right in front of them. Although there still is validity to the bystander effect, its origins in this case are more mythical than real.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201112/the-top-10-psychology-myths

[littlewolf]

63. thank you, I did not know that.

[Android3.14]

58. Odd story. Unfortunate that folks have so little faith in themselves

What kind of a "hero" goes off on some weird judgmental response to their act of heroism? When was the last time we heard someone say, "Yeah, I rescued that drowning man because all those other folks were cowards. You fuckin' cowards."?

We help people everyday. We stop for people stuck on the side of the road, give rides to hitchhikers, many train ourselves in first aid, loan somebody money, help a person get their shopping done and we've all helped someone find their way when they needed directions.

And yes, sometimes it takes a bit of time for the need of someone else to penetrate our internal dialogue.

I've also worked with the homeless, and other people I refer to as the fringefolk. When a homeless person is on the ground, he or she could be asleep, could be drunk, could be both. And the truth of the matter is that when we have checked on a person on the ground, we realize that is exactly what they are doing. Sleeping off a drunk, or otherwise incapable of even accepting help.

Having awoken people asleep on the sidewalk, what I find is they are off their meds, drunk as shit, and often pissed as hell. What they are not is ready for someone to help them.

This kneejerk attitude of "gee, we're such horrible creatures because we walked by a suffering 13-year-old even though we didn't know she was a child. Oh woe is me I am a member of such a pitiful sorry species and we all deserve to die"

As if other species behave differently. We've all heard about the cats that are out their rescuing other stray cats...wait. What other species other than humans actually has members within it that organize themselves for the specific purpose of helping members of their own species who are suffering misfortune?

Some of these comments are just a form of self-loathing that has little to do with the human experience.

I find the self-righteous attitude of this person who works with the homeless off-putting. What was it Huber said? "They’re so caught up in their own lives and making money and getting busy and taking care of their own concerns that they don’t have the extra time and money to help others. Their hearts are not into it.”

Huber don't know shit.