MUSKEGON, Mich. — A woman in Muskegon County is alive, thanks to an Eagle Scout who will be receiving an award for his heroic actions.
It was July 2018, and Mychal VanAllsburg was working when he heard a crash near the intersection of East Apple and South Maple.
When he ran over to see what happened, he found two vehicles: a pick-up truck and a sedan that had been severely damaged.
When Mychal went to check on the woman inside, not only was she visibly upset but he said smoking began coming from the hood of the car.
"I tried all the doors on the vehicle and the doors wouldn't open; I don't know, if the car twisted or jam locked, I'm not really sure," Van Allsburg said. "Now I'm trying to communicate with the lady through the window. And you know, you ever tried to talk to someone through glass? It doesn't work very well."
A co-worker ended up coming over and helped him bend the car's door frame just as the fire began.
Mychal was then able to raise the steering wheel, unbuckle the victim, and with the help of some other witnesses, he managed to lift the woman out of the car.
Less than 10 seconds later, he said the inside of the vehicle went up in flames.
"And as we got to get her further away from that, so we moved her up onto this, the grassy section here," Van Allsburg said. "And some first responders that came and they check the lady out and they took her away. I don't want to disclose anything happened to her but she she is alright."
Mychal, who is now 19, credits the lessons he learned in the Boy Scouts for helping him keep his cool that day.
His actions are now earning him the Heroism Award, which is one of three life-saving awards the Boy Scouts give out.
"I didn't do it to be recognized for it, but it's nice that somebody is recognizing it," Van Allsburg said. "To me, it was just another day at work...you know, I was raised up, you always help people when you can, and I saw an opportunity to help somebody. So I did."
Mychal is a member of Troop 1127, and he will be receiving the award Saturday at noon during a ceremony at Ponoma Park in Fruitport.
