Everyday heroes worth a round of applause

Congratulations are in order for the various heroes featured in the

Daily Pilot in the past few weeks. Collectively, these local good

Samaritans saved two lives, one from drowning and the other from a

fiery car accident, thwarted a bicycle theft and made Newport-Mesa a

safer place to live and play.

Kudos go to the Boy Scout crew of the Argus, captained by Fred

Bockmiller, that pulled a scuba diver to safety who had been floating

in the ocean for four hours.

Three cheers for Timothy Montag, who risked his own life by

dragging an unconscious man from his crashed sports car just seconds

before it burst into flames.

Bravo to Jeffrey Moore who chased a bicycle thief for four miles

and returned a Mongoose mountain bike to a 7-year-old boy.

Moore was not only successful in getting the bike back, he went

about his heroic deed in a safe manner, by not confronting the

thieves recklessly. Instead, he bluffed his way into making them

think the police were right behind him and that was enough to make

them abandon the stolen bike.

His rational thinking kept Moore’s good deed from turning violent,

which would have cast a negative shadow on his good intentions.

In each case, the heroes said they acted on instinct, seeing

something that needed to be done and doing it. Their actions, while

risky in some cases, merit applause and admiration.

These people are a large part of what makes this community a great

place to live, work and visit. And these heroic tales, when told,

undoubtedly give people a warm feeling about their neighbors.

There is enough bad news in the world. Bockmiller and the San

Diego Boy Scouts, Montag, Moore and others like them who go out of

their way to help others, balance that out and give people stories

that are worth celebrating.

Their actions not only changed the lives of those they assisted

directly, they reinforce the idea that people are good, helpful and

brave. Being reminded of that helps us all.