HENRYVILLE, Ind. — An Indiana school bus driver is being hailed as a hero for saving 11 children, right before a tornado threw the bus into a restaurant.
The bus driver, Angel Perry, was able to get all the children off the bus during the March 2nd twister, but many consider it a miracle that she could accomplish it.
“I stopped the bus for a second, put my hands down and I said, “Dear Lord, what do I do?”
She tried to calm her students as she led them in a race against the F4 tornado.
Thinking fast, Perry quickly radioed a dispatcher:
Dispatch: I know you’re busy –
Child: We should go back to the school.
Perry: Shh. Quiet.
With chaos all around her, Perry made a quick decision.
Perry: We’re going back to the school. Count how many kids we have please. Eleven. Thank you so much. If anybody needs to call their parents, we’re going back to the school.
Child: I do. I don’t know my parent’s number.
Perry: We’ll call when we get to school.
Radio: Henryville, there is a tornado on the ground.
Perry: Tornado on the ground, guys. Quiet!
Radio: I see the tornado on the ground north of the school.
Perry: If you got a book to put over your head, do it. Get in the middle!
They didn’t realize it at the time, but they had a minute and a half to get out of the way of the tornado and find cover.
Perry: There’s the tornado right there guys. Look, the funnel cloud!
In a frantic state of mind, she calmly instructed her students on their next move.
Perry: Don’t block me truck. Don’t block me. Guys, we are just going to go as fast as we can into the school.
When they make it back to the school, they make a run for it.
Perry: Everybody stay together. All our group together.
Yeah, go go go go! Go go go go!
Perry: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.. Come on! Come on! Ten, eleven, go! Go! Go!
Just moments later, the 18-ton bus moves across the parking lot, into a car, lifts into the air and is thrown into a diner.
Once inside Perry asked the simple question, “Are you guys okay? ”
Not one of the kids was hurt.
(Courtesy: Carol Costello- CNN Atlanta)
