Outdoor Safety
Rescuing a Victim Safely

How to be a hero to the rescue - for your outdoor safety as well as the victim's.

Terence Lionel Martin was driving past when he saw a teenage boy assaulting a pregnant woman, stopped to help, and was shot dead.
Excerpted from The Oakland Tribune – 09 September 2005

What should you do if you witness a crime with a victim in danger? Your rushing to the rescue may save the victim – or may instead get you killed like the valiant Mr. Martin. A less risky and possibly more effective strategy for outdoor safety in a populated area is to make lots of noise. Keep a safe distance, yet keep the criminal in sight (in the case of kidnapping), and yell repeatedly for someone to call the cops while pointing at the crime scene.

For outdoor safety, if you’re in your car, blow the horn and flash the lights. Perhaps ram into the car of a kidnapper (at a very slow speed) to prevent him from leaving with the victim. However, if the criminal is fleeing without a victim – let him get away - but try to get his license plate number and call the police. Let them deal with the danger of capturing a criminal.

The Road to Hell May Be Paved with Good Intentions

A Good Samaritan stopped on a highway shoulder to offer a ride to two men and a woman in a car that was pulled over. The three went with him but soon began struggling with him to carjack his car. When the Good Samaritan stopped (still on the highway) a semi-trailer truck struck his car and the woman carjacker was thrown from the car and killed. At this point two more people stopped to offer help. One of the male carjackers stole the couple's minivan, police said.
Excerpted from The Chicago Sun-Times – 03 July 2000

Hirachya Sinanyan was stabbed in the chest three times as he tried to stop car thieves outside his home. Tushar Makwana was killed after chasing masked burglars from his home. He ran out into the road to chase them but was fatally injured when it is believed he was struck by their getaway car. Henry Raybould, aged 75, died after he was knocked down. His son Paul was also injured when the two men tried to stop a stolen car being driven away.
Excerpted from The Birmingham Post (UK) – 26 February 2004

Devalls Bluff AR - Two brothers took pity on a hitchhiker and gave the man a lift. When the brothers invited him to dinner, he readily accepted, sitting down to dinner with their family. Then the mysterious drifter went on a rampage, killing the two young brothers and vanishing into the night in their pickup truck. Police said he appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast.
Excerpted from APBnews.com – 14 September 2000

In another case, a college student stopped his car to help a man seemingly stranded on the roadside with a disabled car. The teenager was murdered by the serial killer feigning car trouble to lure victims.

Elsewhere, two men, following a woman out of a store after she cashed a check, grabbed for her purse. Three people tried to help her but were shot by the robbers as they escaped.

Another time, a woman was about to enter her parked car when three teenage girls with a toddler asked for a ride. She obliged. During the drive, the girls brandished a knife and forced the woman to drive home, where they looted her house and stole her car.

Similarly, a Chicago woman approached a half-dozen female drivers, said she locked her keys in her car, and asked for a ride to a locksmith. Once inside their cars she pulled a knife and robbed them.

A man and woman were outside a store when a car came screeching into the parking lot. As they scolded the woman for letting her son drive so wildly, the boy shot the couple. Instead, for outdoor safety, it's better to just call the police.

James Early was shot because he opened his home to a neighbor, who was being assaulted by her son, Brian Hermes, who burst through the door Early opened and took Early's wife hostage and shot Early to death.
Excerpted from The Arizona Republic – 16 August 2005

A tutor was deliberately run over and killed as he tried to stop a thief stealing a laptop computer from a Birmingham college. The owner of that laptop and two other instructors confronted him and a struggle took place. The man then ran off and got into a car and deliberately drove forward at two instructors trying to stop the car from getting away.
Excerpted from the Birmingham Evening Mail (UK) – 11 December 2001 [Valuables can be replaced...]

Bluffton SC - Two armed men wearing ski masks fired shots during a restaurant robbery and fled into the woods. An owner, employees and customers followed, some carrying pool cues. ... One of the men stopped running and tried to fight the people chasing him, but they picked up tree branches and began beating him with the branches and pool cues. Two nearby sheriff deputies were waved down and arrested the robber.
Excerpted from The Associated Press – 15 January 2006 [The pursuers were lucky that the robber, still armed, didn't shoot anyone. They didn't need to pursue him.]

A man walked into the restaurant with a shotgun and demanded money. The owner, Archie Hardison, with the gun held on him, went to get cash from the register. But an undercover security guard employed by the restaurant was sitting at a table. The robber recognized the guard. ... "The robber kept yelling 'He's the man' at the guard," Hardison said. "Then he took his eye off me and swung the gun's barrel at the guard." The restaurant security guard caught the gun, and the men wrestled over it. ... At one point the gun was pointed at Hardison's girlfriend, a waitress at the restaurant. That's when Hardison said he applied a "sleeper" hold. ... "It crossed our minds that we might die," Hardison said. "But there just wasn't much time to think about that. Hardison kept the man in the chokehold until police arrived. Hardison said the deputies told him his actions were dumb.
Excerpted from The Hilton Head Island Packet – 27 August 2006 [Dumb? He may well have saved someone's life!]

A man who scaled a backyard fence in Lomita CA and grabbed a 5-year-old boy was chased down and captured by neighbors alerted by screams from the boy's mother. Suzanne and David Arnado said their son, Vincent, was playing by himself in the backyard when a man apparently scaled the padlocked, 8-foot-high wooden fence. ... The couple heard a wrought-iron security door leading to the patio slam shut. "We look over, and there is a man with one hand holding the door shut and my son's arm in the other hand,” David Arnado said. ... "Mrs. Arnado screamed: "Call 911! Call 911! A man has my boy!" Arnado said he threw himself against the security door and the man let go of Vincent. Mrs. Arnado grabbed the boy and ran inside the house. ... Arnado threw a lawn chair at the man, who fled. The father and two others gave chase and caught the man at the house next door, holding him until police arrived.
Excerpted from The Sacramento Bee – 28 July 2002

A 14-year-old girl walking home after dark was grabbed by a man and forced to the ground by the roadside. As he began trying to undo her pants, a family driving past noticed “something amiss,” stopped, shone the headlights on him and blew the horn. He was distracted enough that the girl broke free and ran to their car as he fled.

Then there was the 10-year-old girl walking to her school bus stop when a man grabbed and forced her into his station wagon. Three bystanders heard the girl scream and chased the car on foot. They closed in when the man stopped at a red light. The abductor then let the girl go and sped away.

A woman has told a court how she heard a scream at about the time a murdered teenaged girl disappeared. The girl’s body was found five days later. The woman was in her bedroom with the window open. “From what I can recall there was one scream that I heard. Then I heard a car. It sounded like something out of a horror film. It was a female scream and it was just a high-pitched shriek. I heard the scream and then I heard the screeching car. It was, like, seconds. It was like a wheel spin and then it roared off. I thought it was someone just messing about. I didn't think nothing of it."
Excerpted from Ananova News (UK) – 06 November 2001. [If only she’d called the cops...]

The screams of Breann Voth were ignored as the young woman was ambushed and killed. No one came to her rescue despite her prolonged pleas for help. Martina Seymour was far luckier. She was rescued from certain death by Good Samaritans when they saw her violent struggle with an armed man. ... Don Miller provided Ms. Seymour with a getaway car when he drove alongside her. He pulled the injured woman into the passenger seat and drove off through a hail of bullets. One shattered the passenger window, and Mr. Miller pushed her head down to protect her as they drove off. ... Mr. Miller said he acted purely on instinct from the moment he saw a man on the road, frantically waving at motorists to stop. "It's the right thing to do. . . . It's sickening to think I could just go by. How could I live with myself with the image in my mind of this woman being assaulted?" ... Psychology professor Stephen Hart said “passersby witnessed the Seymour violence firsthand. Ms. Voth's screams came from an indistinct location, and people had time to think about the implications of helping her. ... Prof. Hart said “it's human nature for a person to go to the aid of someone in distress. And most people don't think twice of the lack of outdoor safety and the danger they're wading into. "There is an element of foolhardiness to being a hero, but the risks of not acting can be more damaging." Professor Hart added. "It's the guilt that's really bad for some people."
Excerpted from The Toronto Globe and Mail – 12 August 2004

Rescuing a Battered Woman from Relationship Violence
Chris and his wife, arriving in a parking lot of a farmer’s market, saw a man chasing a woman around a parked car, slapping her. Chris stepped between them and said, “Try slapping me, tough guy!” Well, the bully tried, and Chris knocked him silly just as the police arrived. The cops saw Chris as the aggressor, took him down, then handcuffed him. Luckily, other witnesses vouched for Chris. Despite his bruises, Chris said he’s ready to step in again in the future – unless he sees a weapon. Then, for outdoor safety, he’ll call the cops.

As Domestic Violence points out, a battered woman is often bewildered by seemingly hopeless circumstances even though they could lead to her murder or suicide. Oftentimes no neighbors even call the police during obvious battles nearby because they each think or hope someone else will do so. Or afterward, injuries are passed off with flimsy excuses. Bystanders may be afraid to get involved, but if nothing else, you can at least make an anonymous call to the police. Give them enough of a foothold to very possibly save her life – even if she currently refuses to help herself.

Rescuing a Woman at a Party or Tavern
Watch for a male leading a drunk (or drugged) female somewhere or "taking her home." Get others (preferably females) to help properly take care of her and make sure she’s not about to be raped. Be ready to call the police.

Rescuing an Abused Child

A Prevent Child Abuse America survey showed 44 percent of 1,250 people said they’ve seen a child being abused in a public place, but did not know what to do about the situation. Those who did respond either flashed a disapproving look at the offending adult or verbally reprimanded the adult. Instead:
• Start a conversation with the adult to direct attention away from the child. For example say something like "My child gets upset like that, too."
• Divert the child's attention (if he or she is misbehaving) by talking to the child.
• Look for an opportunity to praise the child or adult.
• If the child is in danger, offer assistance. Negative remarks or looks should be avoided because they are likely to increase the adult's anger and could make matters worse.
• If you notice that bruises or other injuries appear to be the result of abuse or neglect, call the police. Whether the abuse is physical, emotional and/or sexual, investigators will determine how to proceed. Don't fear calling. Your name can be kept confidential.
Excerpted from The Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL) – 25 April 2005

If you’re unsure the child is truly being abused, contact the police for guidance. But if you see a child left unattended in a parked car – a blatant outdoor safety risk for a child – call the cops immediately.

If you’re a victim or an eyewitness:
• During the crime, if possible, observe characteristics that are least subject to change. A suspect can discard clothing and modify hair. Try to look closely at features such as the lips, eyes, nose, teeth, and gait.
• Write down a description of the suspect before you’re interviewed by police to help solidify your thoughts and make you less vulnerable to suggestion. This can help prevent memory distortion during the investigation.
• Insist on open-ended questions from police interviewers. Don’t allow the use of visual aids like photographs or software catalogs of facial components if you’re questioned for a composite sketch.
• Consider tape-recording your interviews with police personnel. You want to ensure that your thoughts are not inadvertently misconstrued, misparaphrased, or overly abbreviated. Compare the tape to written police reports, which you have the right to obtain.
Excerpted from The Memory Artist by Jeanne Boylan, police sketch artist and FBI consultant. The Oprah Magazine – July 2003

See After Being Attacked – Immediately Call the Police in Fighting.

It’s impossible to fully anticipate the panicky chaos of a sudden threat forcing you to make split-second life-and-death decisions. Nonetheless, understanding your outdoor safety options now will help your Intuition choose an option then.

Pepper Spray & a Noisemaker visibly ready will greatly enhance your first option – Posturing as a tough target – and probably deter a predator immediately. Your fifth option – Fighting – is enhanced as well.

For convenience, learn self-defense ONLINE for outdoor safety:

KRAV MAGA, a practical self-defense system used by many police forces worldwide, teaches you to defend yourself, enhances your survival instinct, and can be applied under extreme stress. It's not flashy, just very effective. I highly recommend it. The Krav Maga TV - Online Training videos are especially convenient to learn at home when your schedule allows or if you don't live near a training center.

Find Outdoor Safety for parking lots, city streets, suburban byways, country roads, and secluded paths by going to:
• Outdoor Safety - Overview
• Friendly Predators first try to get near you to isolate and trap you, then attack you. Never forget that and you’ll never fall for a stranger’s lure.
• Force Predators: ambush zones revealed.
• Predator’s Favorite Targets: how not to be one.
• Spotting Danger ahead of time, and sensing if someone is about to draw a weapon - and what to do before it's too late.
• Facing Danger: if you're already targeted in a robbery, purse snatching, rape or kidnapping attack, choose among the five outdoor safety options: Posturing, Fleeing, Outsmarting, Surrendering, or Fighting.
• Rescuing a Victim Safely (YOU’RE NOW ON THIS PAGE): how best to be a hero.
• Dog Attack: facing an attack on you or a loved one.
• Pickpockets: stopping masterful thieves from stealing you blind.
• Recap of Outdoor Safety.
• Pepper Spray & Devices for Outdoor Safety.

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