SKOWHEGAN — A resident of Indian Ridge Apartments who comforted a stabbing victim Wednesday morning until police and emergency workers arrived is slated to be honored later this month for saving another man last summer in Norridgewock.

Michael King, 29, and his roommate Jimmy Avery, 33, are to received the Good Samaritan Real Heroes Award from the American Red Cross on March 13 in Lewiston, according to former Red Cross director and current board member Laurie Levine.

Bob Everett, 70, owner of a closed service station on Main Street in Norridgewock was mowing grass June 9 when he backed his riding mower over the embankment of Mill Stream, and tumbled — mower and all — more than 15 feet into the water below.

His wife, Carolyn, hollered for help and King and Avery came running.

“I was pumping gas at Cumberland Farms next door and I heard a woman yell ‘Help! Help!'” King said. “I ran across the street — almost got hit by a couple cars — and leaped over the hood of the car that almost hit me and ran across,” King said last year. “I jumped in the water and saved Mr. Everett.”

Everett said he would have drowned if the men had not come to his rescue.

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King said he used his shirt to wrap Everett’s bleeding hands and arms. Avery assisted by grabbing Everett and helping him up the embankment.

Levine said King and Avery were nominated for the award by a Skowhegan woman who saw the story in the Morning Sentinel.

Levine said the annual awards of the Lewiston-based American Red Cross of the United Valley happens once a year as part of a national program. She said about five people are given awards each year in different categories. She said Red Cross chapters in Bangor and Portland also conduct heroes breakfast events.

“The Red Cross does this to honor local people who have gone above and beyond the rest of us and have shown great courage or kindness,” Levine said.

Contacted earlier this week, before Wednesday’s stabbing, King and Avery said they were honored to be named Red Cross heroes.

“It’s an exhilarating feeling to know that you actually saved someone and make sure they’ll be able to go home to their family at night,” King said. “It feels great, especially in hard times like this to know that someone actually cares about the good things that people do.”

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Wednesday, King saw a fight outside his apartment around 2 a.m. and yelled at the participants to stop. After they fled, he saw stabbing victim Jason Tibbetts, 34, lying in the snow bleeding. King kept tried to keep Tibbetts warm and alert until the police arrived. Tibbets was in serious condition in Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor Wednesday night.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

 


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