Lincoln County School District, in partnership with First Student, proudly acknowledges the bravery and composure demonstrated by 11 Waldport students in a recent harrowing incident.
Two quick thinking students aboard a school bus took control of a potentially dangerous situation when their bus driver suddenly fell unconscious. The incident occurred in early October as the bus was transporting students home from Crestview Heights and Waldport Middle/High schools.
The bus driver, Verena Douglas, was driving her normal route when she began feeling dizzy. She immediately pulled the bus over to a pull-off area and radioed dispatch before losing consciousness. A recording captured inside the bus during the incident showed Tabitha “Tab” Ayres, a Waldport 10th grader, yelling from her seat at the back of the bus, “Guys! Guys! I will do it!”
Tab was CERT trained (Community Emergency Response Team) and recognized the severity of the situation. She instructed the other students to move to the back of the bus. Another student, Destiny Peake, a 6th grader at Crestview Heights, kept them out of the way, occupied, and reassured, preventing panic from spreading among the younger children.
Displaying remarkable composure, Tab established contact with dispatch and emergency services, providing crucial information about the situation. She also recognized Verena had low blood sugar and managed to get her alert and seated until help arrived.
In an interview with Waldport Weekly, a TV show produced by Waldport CTE students, Tab said she knew instantly she had to act fast. “The bus driver was on the floor so I knew that I needed to take charge,” Tab said. “There was no time for thinking, there was only time for doing.” She said her CERT training helped her know how to react fast and calmly in emergency situations. Watch all of Tab’s Waldport Weekly interview here.
Emergency services and another bus driver soon arrived, ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone on board. Verena received medical attention, and is doing well.
At the monthly LCSD Board of Directors meeting on November 14, 2023, all students on the bus were recognized with Certificates of Bravery and gift cards. First Student district manager, Andrew Good, presented Verena, Tab, and Destiny with a G.E.M. (Going the Extra Mile) award and pin, marking first time in First Student’s history that G.E.M. awards were presented to non-employees. “This whole thing, how it occurred, is just miraculous how it turned out,” he said.
Tab and Destiny also received two engraved crystal “Above and Beyond” plaques from LCSD.
First Student location manager Darleen VanRiper recapped the event and praised the students and the bus driver. “Verena did a great job of not driving the bus when she was feeling ill and teaching her students what to do in emergency situations. Other students on the bus listened to their team leader and did a fantastic job remaining calm.” Choking up, she continued. “We most of all recognize Tab and Destiny for being heroes and taking care of Verena and the kids.”
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of emergency preparedness and the potential for individuals, even young students, to make a significant difference in critical situations.
