Bridgett Addison, Fort Myers, Florida woman hailed a hero, despite woman not knowing how to swim saving 11 year old autistic girl, Mia Garcia from alligator infested Lakes Park from drowning.
Define humanity…? A Lee County, Florida woman has been hailed a hero after she risked her own life to save an 11 year old girl with autism from nearly drowning after the little girl fell into an alligator infested lake.
Mia Garcia, 11, was collecting shells with her little sister just after 10 a.m. with her grandmother not far behind Saturday at Lakes Park in south Fort Myers. She slipped into the lake and couldn’t get out on her own on account of slimy waters.
Bridgett Addison, who was at a nearby pavilion, heard Mia’s screams and immediately ran to help, despite not knowing how to swim according to WSAW.
Woman who can’t swim saves young girl from drowning
‘When I looked over, I saw her in the water. So, I just ran,’ Addison told the outlet. ‘I was able to get her and sling her up, so she won’t be where the slimy part at to get her out of the embankment.’
Explained the frightened 11 year old girl, ‘I felt like an alligator was going to come swim at me and drag me in the water.’
Addison says she kept falling down while helping Mia and got skinned up in the process. Despite the difficulties, she expressed her willingness to help anyone in need.
‘I don’t care who they are, what color, what their disability. I don’t care. If you can do it, go and help somebody. That’s my only thing,’ she said.
Mia’s grandmother, Dawn Louchart, says she’s grateful for Addison’s actions.
‘It shows a lot that there are good people out there, and she is one of them,’ she said.
While the Good Samaritan‘s comments about being there for a person in need of help irrespective of their ‘race,’ ‘disability’ or ‘identity’ were seen in a positive context, the underlying suggestion alluded to the division, discrimination and prejudice in society, which was suddenly removed as a young girl screamed out for help.
Heroism and humanity trumping race, disability, identity
And then there were these comments on the web that caught this author’s attention, see what you think?
‘Beautifu story. If people in the world would understand we are here to a help to everyone. No matter the color. If we can get that right our world would be so much better. God help the people to do better.’
‘If everyone (EVERYONE) thought and responded like this, imagine how beautiful the world would be! Kudos to this beautiful lady for showing us that humanity is still amongst us!’
‘Thank you for being a good human! The world needs more people like Ms. Bridgett!’
