The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines heroic as courageous, noble, or self-sacrificing action or behavior. From all accounts, this term certainly applies to the rescue efforts of Hannah Meneses, of Whitefield, and Leon Ryan, of Waldoboro, last Friday on Davis Stream in Jefferson.
When a vehicle drove into the middle of the stream, it attracted attention, with a call to emergency services to help respond. Sometimes in emergencies, action may be necessary to save a life before responders can arrive. At other times, it is best to wait.
A sinking car with a conscious occupant caused Meneses to jump into action, putting her own safety aside as she entered frigid spring waters and helped mobilize others. Not everyone would take such risk, and, fortunately, the risks taken resulted in a made for the movies type moment when the driver was able to swim free from the sinking car.
First responders from Jefferson Fire and Rescue, Waldoboro EMS, and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office were on the way, but it is impossible to know if they would have arrived in time to take lifesaving actions. However, their response and actions are important as well, and helped treat the three water soaked individuals after the ordeal.
These bystander actions should be celebrated, as they likely resulted in a fortunate outcome to a potentially dire situation. When placed next to other actions in a neighboring town, it provides a striking contrast with how neighbors interacted with each other within the community.
Also on the front page this week is a story of a heated debate at a Somerville Budget Committee meeting from this past week. The end result was a physical altercation that lead to misdemeanor changes for two town officials.
It was an interesting week in the northern part of the county. While these two events show opposite sides of human emotion and reaction, they have one thing in common: we can learn from both situations.
Passion can be a driving force behind some of our actions; it can also be a powerful emotion that can lead to poor choices if not kept in check. Resorting to physical contact when engaged in a debate is across the line and we hope that this unfortunate scenario stays as a one-of-a-kind event.
While we do not need more emergencies in the county, we need more of the compassion and help given to our fellow community members that was on display during the rescue event. Metaphorically speaking, we should not wait for the car to be in the water before rendering aid to our neighbors.
