I came out of the store to put groceries in the car, and Bob was on the ground
@GardenGerty (166660)
United States
October 9, 2025 6:22pm CST
The man in the SUV two stalls from our car fell getting out of his vehicle. He hit his head hard on the pavement. When I came out, Bob was stabilizing his head and neck. Three women were standing around. They did not know the man either, but were watching over him because an ambulance was on the way.One of them called 911 when Bob told them to.They did not know what to do, but Bob did, as he has had lots of CPR and First Aid training and some nurses training in the past.
Someone had given Bob a car seatcover to roll up under the victim's head. He was not unconscious, but he hurt his neck and back and arm. No blood. He has had three neck surgeries, and a back surgery in May. He had someone call his nephew, who lives with him. Nephew had to walk to get there as they only have the one vehicle between them.
Bob talked with him and they ALL made sure he was safe and no one tried to pull in that slot. The sun was beating down on him so I got our windshield sunscreen to hold over him for shade.
A small ambulance came, and they called in fire rescue as back up to help put him on a back board and splint his arm and brace his neck.
I am glad there were people willing to help. Bob and I felt like it was a case of "right place, right time" for him, because the ladies did not know what to do exactly, and in case of a back or neck injury you do not want to do the wrong thing. I know of a person who fell while jogging between her home and her daughter's beside a busy road and she could not get up, in another nearby town. Cars just kept driving past, until a football player from a nearby college turned around and came back.
Help someone anytime you can. You never know when it might be your turn.
19 people like this
16 responses
@snowy22315 (199567)
• United States
10 Oct
So glad you and Bob were able to help. When I first read that, I thought that Bob was the one on the ground.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
I do try to put some excitement in my titles from time to time.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
I hope so too. I worry about his back, but his hand and arm was causing the most pain yesterday. It really looked as if the pinky finger was broken.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
We probably will never know as we did not exchange information with the nephew. I am just glad he had some family to help.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
@LadyDuck I was afraid he had no one. Glad his nephew came to handle things.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (488317)
• Italy
10 Oct
@GardenGerty - Poor man, I hope he will be fine, at least he is not alone.
2 people like this
@Traceyjayne (6724)
• United Kingdom
10 Oct
Very true, you never know when it will be you needing the help. It usually takes. Dry little effort and as in this case you could have saved his life ….someone else may have tried to move him, and by doing so, they could have caused more damage.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
I think they were smart not to do the wrong thing. I think all the people who helped were really good.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
11 Oct
@Traceyjayne I think the injured man and Bob had good rapport, although Bob is quite a bit older than him. I feel like talking about the army and other discussions helped take his mind off his pain while he waited.
@Traceyjayne (6724)
• United Kingdom
10 Oct
@GardenGerty they were certainly lucky that Bob was there.
2 people like this
@porwest (111532)
• United States
10 Oct
Right place and right time for sure. Not the same situation, but I remember just a couple of weeks ago watching an elderly man with a cane trying to maneuver a wheelchair thingy (I call it that because it was motorized but not a scooter) into the back of his van. I saw him struggling and walked over and offered to help him, which he accepted. It felt good to not just walk away and let him continue to struggle.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
Sometimes it feels like a blessing to be able to help.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
11 Oct
@porwest My "big win" earlier in the day was to help the mom of a toddler with her meal trash disposal at the Sam's Club Cafe. She was surprised, and it gave her a smile.
1 person likes this
@porwest (111532)
• United States
11 Oct
@GardenGerty We all have a human side. Some people acknowledge it more than others.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (51743)
•
10 Oct
I am glad Bob was there to help! And you are so right, help when you can, we never know what our future holds.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (51743)
•
11 Oct
@GardenGerty
I am glad, too. I am sure the help was much appreciated!
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (50858)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
10 Oct
Some people just want to get to where they're going and never mind anybody else. During the last blizzard of the spring, I fell head over walker off the sidewalk down a bit of a slope and the cars kept going past. Luckily, my neighbor's daughter saw me and stopped her car right there in traffic and helped me up. She couldn't believe that no one else had stopped to help me.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
As Ms. Lesli said today, there is a scam where people pretend to be hurt to get you close and rob you or worse, so people are cautious.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (182668)
• Boise, Idaho
10 Oct
You really learn a lot about a person when there is an emergency. Do they try to help? Stand around? That sort of thing. I'm glad Bob was there when he was. Timing is everything in situations like this. I hope the man is alright. He's lucky Bob was there.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
I hope he does well. He seems like he has been through a lot.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (80693)
• United States
11 Oct
Thank God Bob was there! Right place, right time, indeed!!!
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (125866)
• Marion, Ohio
10 Oct
Hope he will be okay. Glad you were there
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
We were glad to be able to be a little help.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (91458)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 Oct
Glad Bob was on duty so to say and glad the man could go and get medical care,
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
11 Oct
It is important with a fall like that not to move around. The firefighters loaded him onto a backboard and then onto a gurney to put him in the ambulance.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
10 Oct
I really appreciated seeing all the caring people.
2 people like this
@noni1959 (11337)
• United States
10 Oct
@GardenGerty It's so nice to see others helping.
2 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (116448)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
11 Oct
You have a good point there that we all should help each other.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
11 Oct
Helping is good news and makes us all feel good to do it.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (116448)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
11 Oct
@GardenGerty You are right.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (207451)
• United States
10 Oct
I'm so glad Bob was able to help. So many people just ignore someone in need of help.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
11 Oct
Every person that passed seemed to ask if there was anything they could do.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (166660)
• United States
17 Oct
Old training kicks in, even if you do not often use it.
1 person likes this
