Often, we think of heroes as someone who stares in the face of danger in order to do something extraordinary. We conjure these images of a caped crusader who darts in, using their superpowers to save those in need. Unfortunately, there’s nobody in the world with superpowers like them. Thankfully, a hero doesn’t need superpowers, they just need to be willing to step up.
Earlier this month, John Pederson proved to be just the hero needed, when he saved a coworker from a six-story burning building. The man he saved was one of two workers when a fire broke out on one of the upper floors, according to news.com.au.
“I just thought he was going down. Otherwise, he would burn up and the crane was the only tool we just had at hand,” he said, in an interview with news.com
The Danish crane operator’s heroism was caught on video and posted to YouTube. Since being posted, the video has garnered over 200,000 views and over 400 likes.
The crane was not the first attempt to rescue the man though. Other construction workers attempted using a cherry picker, but it proved to be too short.
Pederson then realized the urgency of the situation and jumped into the crane. According to News, Peterson was able to maneuverer the machine to the building’s side and then extend the arm all the way up to the roof.
The rescue itself seems like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster. The man’s escape from the begins as he leaps from the smoky building, grasping the chains tightly. In the video, one can see that even with the crane, the rescue is nothing close to safe. As he dangles from the chains, he swings back and forth as he makes his way down the building.
As the man descends from the building, one can see the other construction workers looking up. Once the man touches down, a number of his colleagues can be seen running to help him.
The other building worker was able to escape safely as well, according to News. He jumped to a lower floor and managed to escape. Both men were taken to the hospital for burns, but 9News reports that the injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Without a doubt, Pederson’s actions are a prime example of what happens when skill meets opportunity. He reminds us that it isn’t a cape or a superpower that makes us a hero. Rather, all we need to do is be willing to step up when we can help.
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