A school bus driver in Minnesota saved a 4-year-old boy from drowning in Lake Owasso, even though she has never learned how to swim.
We all have some kind of fears. Maybe it’s heights, or speaking in front of people, or even just going to the dentist. But there are moments when God puts us in similar situations and we find unbelievable courage and do things that we once didn’t dare to do.
Mebal Kaanyi was wrapping up her bus route last Thursday afternoon when she saw something that made her heart drop. A little boy was running down the street toward Lake Owasso. He was crying. He wore only underwear and a short sleeve shirt. No shoes. No jacket. And it was cold outside.
“I see this little guy coming, running down the street,” Kaanyi said. She tried talking to him through her driver’s window, but he kept running toward the water.
The boy’s aunt had already called 911. She told police her nephew had run off and she couldn’t find him. The boy was nonverbal and possibly had special needs.
Kaanyi watched as the boy reached the fence by the lake. He touched the gate and it opened. “That moment, my heart skipped,” she said.
She knew she had to act fast. Kaanyi secured her bus and ran after him. The boy stepped right into the water. The spot was deep. He started struggling right away.
Now here’s the remarkable part. Kaanyi has never swum in her entire life. “I get goosebumps just looking at the water. I’m so afraid of water, but that day I was determined to do anything possible to save that kid,” she said.
She jumped in anyway.
The boy was fighting to breathe. He pushed himself toward her. “I grabbed his hand and I was like, ‘Thank goodness. I got you,'” Kaanyi said. She carried him back to her bus and called dispatch right away.
When Ramsey County Sergeant Matt Marson arrived, he found the child wrapped in towels on the bus. The boy was soaking wet. Marson was one of three deputies who responded to the call.
“She was integral in saving that child’s life,” Marson said. Without Kaanyi jumping in, “that child would’ve been probably dead in that water, just from exposure or maybe even drowning. She’s a hero, plain and simple.”
Kaanyi works for Schmitty & Sons Bus Co. and drives for Roseville Area Schools. The rescue happened around 3 p.m. near the corner of Chandler and Owasso Boulevard.
The young boy is doing okay now. Marson said Kaanyi will receive an official life saving award from the sheriff’s office.
When people praise her, Kaanyi stays humble. “This is what everybody should do,” she said. “We need to live in a society whereby we care for one another.”
God knows exactly what is happening in our lives even before we do. He knew the danger the boy was heading toward, and He placed the right person at the right time to save him.
Even though she didn’t know how to swim, God gave her the courage to act in a crucial moment. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
WATCH: Heroic Bus Driver Saves 4-Year-Old From Lake
