OCEAN CITY, Md.- Jonathan Bauer does not have any previous first responder experience at all and works at Atlantic General Hospital as a Vice President of Information Services.
On Sunday, he saved a 2-year-old girl who fell into the bay after a serious crash. On Friday, he was recognized as a hero. Playing back the moment Bauer decided he was going to help the infant brought back strong emotions for his family.
"Threw my legs over, hooked my arms around my back and pressed my feet against because there was a pillar directly below me," Bauer said. "Just looked at my daughter and said grab the first firefighter or police officer you see and then pushed off."
Bauer’s daughter Ava was with him that day. The 13-year-old was instructed by her father to stay in the car and she made the 911 call for help. Ava thought the worst as her dad was considering making the 25 foot jump into the water.
"I was thinking he was going to die," Ava said. "I always like when people usually die, they hit their head and then they die. I was either thinking he was going to die or he was going to get paralyzed."
The infant was initially in critical condition following the fall but is now home safe with her family. Her rescuer, anonymous until now. Now publicly recognized as a hero by the grateful ocean city community and other first responders who helped everyone on scene. Ocean City Mayor Richard W. Meehan was also grateful.
"I know you did it because it was the right thing to do and probably just kicked in that it was the right thing you wanted to do," Meehan said. "But again, we are here to thank you and let you extend your thank yous as well."
Bauer was able to embrace the Oertel family who was responsible for getting him and the baby out of the water. Ordinary people, once strangers, now bonded forever and recognized as hometown heroes.
Bauer, his wife Wendy and Ava were all recognized as honorary members of the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company. They along with the Oertel family will be linked together as two families who made a life-saving difference that day.