School bus driver saves man

For the first time, Rick Croce met the son of Bob Uhl, the man whose life he saved last week.

"He's holding his own, and so far so good," said Mark Uhl.

Croce was on his regular school bus route in Webster last Wednesday afterrnoon when he saw the 70-year-old fall off his bike in the middle of the road. Rick did not know it then, but Uhl had suffered a heart attack. Rick immediately stopped his bus on State Road and sprang into action.

"I ran over to him, checked for a pulse and checked for breathing," he said. "I felt nothing, so I immediately started CPR."

Rick did CPR until an ambulance arrived. He says he thinks he did repititions for about 10 minutes, but he does not know for sure because his adrenaline took over.

"I don't remember getting off the bus and running to the guy," Rick said. "All I remember is starting CPR and feeling for a pulse."

Maybe one of the more compelling parts to his story is the coincidences on that day. Rick says it was almost like he was meant to be there.

"I just re-certified a month ago, and who knew that I was going to use it this quick," he said. "Never in a million years!"

Rick was also shocked to learn the Uhl's grandson normally rides his bus, but that day, he didn't take the bus home. He also knew Uhl's wife who used to be a bus driver for the Webster School District a few years ago.

Even though Rick says he was just doing what he was meant to do, he says he hopes his efforts will pull Uhl through.

"I've been called a hero, and I just simply say I'm not really a hero," he said. "I was trained in CPR, and this was my time to save someboday."

On Monday afternoon, Uhl was in a medicated coma, but his family says he is 'holding his own." Medics told Rick if he hadn't have been there to give Uhl CPR, he wouldn't be alive.