In April of last year, 18-year-old Ismael Jimenez was a passenger aboard a bus on Interstate 5 in California. He and other students on the bus were bound for Humboldt State University for a weekend tour. It was a happy day for Ismael, because he, an aspiring artist, would be the first member of his family to attend college. The bus, however, never made it to the university because, all at once, a semi-truck slammed into it, causing both vehicles to burst into flames. Some people, including the drivers of both vehicles, died right away, but Ismael initially survived. He was able to bust out the front window of the bus, but then as the bus was filling with smoke and people were getting burned, Ismael, instead of leaping to safety, began lifting out other passengers, most of whom he barely knew. Some survived because of his efforts, but Ismael himself perished in the flames. He’s been called a hero, and he reportedly deserves that epitaph.

            We can say the same about Victoria Soto, the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School the day a shooter entered the building. Soto stood in front of him and held up her hands as if to prevent him from going any further. She tried to protect the children who were in her care. She laid down her life for those little lambs.

            Jimenez and Soto join a long list of people who have sacrificed themselves to save others. While the circumstances in every case are different, the one thing almost all of these heroes have in common is that their self-sacrifice was not a planned event. They died doing the best they could in an unexpected crisis moment.

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