Man Trapped in Deep Snow Went Hours Without Help Until 13-Year-Old Kid Saves His Life

Mar 14, 2019 by apost team

We would all like to think that we would help someone whose life is in danger. However, according to psychology research, most people tend to ignore situations where someone is in dire need.

This is, according to Psychology Today, due to a phenomenon called bystander effect. This effect comes into play in a wide variety of life-threatening situations including domestic violence and abuse. This basically comes down to a lack of desire to take responsibility for other people's problems.

This is lack of responsibility syndrome almost caused a Wisconsin man to die recently.

According to WKOW,  On a cold February day when the windchill was below zero, Lonnie Strauss was working outside at a radio station. He decided that he needed to brave the bad weather to clear snow off of a satellite dish.

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During the task of brushing snow off of the dish, something terrible occurred. He slipped and fell, but when he tried to get up, he realized that he couldn't. He was stuck in a prone position in the freezing cold for an hour and a half.

He tried to get the attention of passing cars, but the motorists were unwilling to take any action to help.

As the wind continued to blow, Strauss began to experience signs of hypothermia. When it seemed like his life was beginning to ebb away, a young boy named Michael Dickman who was walking to school happened to come near the scene.

The boy heard Strauss' cries for assistance and noticed some other people who passed by without offering any help.

“Because of the weather conditions, the male ended up suffering from frostbite and was in the early stages of hypothermia and probably wouldn’t have been discovered for an extended period of time,” Tyler Tesch of the Merrill Police Department told WSAW-TV.  .

The boy told reporters that he saw a truck go by without stopping. The boy decided that the best course of action was to quickly enter the radio station and dial 911. Fortunately, responders arrived quickly. They promptly took Strauss to a hospital where he was treated for frostbite and hypothermia.

The police department did not ignore the heroic actions of the teen boy. They called him to the school office and presented him with a Citizen's Public Service award. Michael said that he thought he was in trouble when he was summoned to the office.

Strauss expressed his gratitude to the reporters. He felt very thankful to the boy, and he gained a new appreciation for the potential for some people to act with valor and compassion.

Do you think you would have stopped and helped the man? Let us know in the comments. If this story was inspiring, send a link to your friends.