For keeping calm under pressure, Salmon Arm Secondary (SAS) student Luke Hartl received accolades from School District 83.
On Jan. 31 operations director Travis Elwood, transportation manager Andrea Kathrein and bus driver Susan Forward expressed their heartfelt thanks to 11th grade student with a plaque and local gift cards for assisting without hesitation during the Nov. 20 collision between two school buses.
“Thank you for your responsible and compassionate actions,” Kathrein said during the presentation. “You set a great example for all of us.”
As part of its standard safety practice, SD83 provides bus evacuation training twice a year, with the driver designating one or two students as helpers in the event they need extra support in an actual incident. Remembering that training, Hartl put it to use that day and helped evacuate the bus and “ensure everyone’s safety, including the bus driver and fellow students,” Kathrein added.
SAS principal Rob Cadden saw Hartl’s actions as more than just the training, and said he was also impressed with the student’s attitude after speaking with him about the incident.
“He didn’t think anything of what he did,” Cadden said. “He saw that people needed help and he stepped up and helped.”
That selfless attitude was evident again when Hartl accepted the award, thanking Kathrein but adding that it wasn’t necessary.
“What else would you do,” he stated. “People needed help, so of course I helped.”
Read more: SD83 applies to replace buses involved in ‘minor’ collision near Salmon Arm
Read more: UPDATE: School buses evacuated after ‘minor’ collision on Highway 1 west of Salmon Arm