When a 4-year-old girl fell out the back of a moving bus onto the highway in Harrison, Arkansas, on Friday, a firefighter and trained EMT was driving behind the bus and was able to help her until paramedics got to the scene.
Volunteer firefighter and licensed EMT Ryan Ciampoli pulled up to the girl on the highway, his dash cam capturing the scene as he picked her up and carried her to his truck. At first she was unconscious, CNN reported, but she soon came around, and Ciampoli stayed with her and talked to her for the approximately 5 minutes it took for the paramedics to arrive.
“Obviously you want to leave her laying there, if she’s not in danger, but we’re in the middle of a state highway,” Ciampoli told CNN.
The girl had a broken jaw and will need surgery, but she is expected to fully recover from the fall.
Her mother is reportedly not blaming the bus driver for the incident, but is focusing on her daughter’s recovery, Fox News reported. The girl is expected to be released from the hospital Monday.
It was unclear whether the bus door was unlocked already or whether the girl managed to unlock it, CNN reported.
Twitter widely regarded Ciampoli as a hero for his actions.
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