When a young child dashed toward freezing water without protection, a Minnesota school bus driver faced her deepest fear head-on. Despite never having learned to swim and harboring a lifelong phobia of water, Mebal Kaanyi plunged into Lake Owasso to rescue a drowning 4-year-old boy.
The dramatic rescue unfolded last Thursday afternoon around 3 p.m. near the corner of Chandler and Owasso Boulevard. Kaanyi, who drives for Roseville Area Schools through Schmitty & Sons Bus Co., was completing her regular route when she spotted something alarming through her driver’s window.
A child in distress
A small boy, wearing only underwear and a short-sleeve shirt, was running barefoot down the street in cold weather. The child was crying as he ran directly toward Lake Owasso. Kaanyi attempted to communicate with the boy through her window, but he continued his frantic sprint toward the water.
“I see this little guy coming, running down the street,” Kaanyi said. The child was nonverbal and possibly had special needs, according to information later provided to police. His aunt had already contacted 911 to report that her nephew had run off and she couldn’t locate him.
Confronting a lifelong fear
What happened next tested Kaanyi’s courage in ways she never expected. She watched the boy reach the lakeside fence, touch the gate, and watch it swing open. “That moment, my heart skipped,” she said.
The boy walked straight into the water at a deep section and immediately began struggling. For most people, this would be a straightforward decision to help. But for Kaanyi, it meant confronting her greatest fear.
“I get goosebumps just looking at the water. I’m so afraid of water, but that day I was determined to do anything possible to save that kid,” she said. Despite having never swum in her entire life, Kaanyi secured her bus and jumped into the lake.
A successful rescue
In the water, the boy struggled to breathe and pushed himself toward Kaanyi. “I grabbed his hand and I was like, ‘Thank goodness. I got you,'” Kaanyi said. She pulled him from the water and carried him back to her bus, immediately contacting dispatch.
Ramsey County Sergeant Matt Marson was among three deputies who responded to the scene. When he arrived, he found the child wrapped in towels on the bus, soaking wet but safe.
Recognition for bravery
Law enforcement officials didn’t hesitate to praise Kaanyi’s actions. “She was integral in saving that child’s life,” Marson said. Without Kaanyi jumping in, “that child would’ve been probably dead in that water, just from exposure or maybe even drowning. She’s a hero, plain and simple.”
The young boy is now doing well. The sheriff’s office plans to present Kaanyi with an official life saving award for her actions.
Despite the accolades, Kaanyi remains modest about her heroic act. “This is what everybody should do,” she said. “We need to live in a society whereby we care for one another.”
