Selfless Service: Omaha VA Nurse's Incredible Act of Bravery

While stopped at a red light on 50th Street and Underwood Avenue in Omaha around 3:45 p.m., the car in front of her suddenly burst into flames with a loud boom.

Without hesitation, Sanders threw her car into reverse, jumped out, and ran toward the burning vehicle. Inside, she found a man screaming in pain and confusion.

"He's screaming 'What just happened' and I was like 'You're on fire dude,'" Sanders said. 

Without hesitating, Sanders opened the burning car’s door, grabbed the man by his shirt, and pulled him to safety.

Several bystanders, including some men from a nearby ice cream shop, rushed to assist Sanders. Under Sanders direction, the bystanders helped her keep the badly burned victim in a standing position with his arms outstretched.

"I needed his arms to be out because they were badly burned," Sanders said. "I kept telling him 'Don't touch that, don't touch anything...keep breathing for me.'"

As the man cried out in agony, other onlookers began spraying him with fire extinguishers in an attempt to help. But Sanders, drawing on her many years of medical experience, yelled for them to stop, knowing the powder could cause infection and damage his lungs and airways.

"I had to stop them," she said. "I've worked in critical care for a long time. I've seen a lot of things. I know you shouldn't do certain things...that powder from the extinguishers can be very harmful to the respiratory system."

The victim suffered severe burns to his face, head, arms and chest. Sanders and the other Good Samaritans were able to move the injured man to the sidewalk, where they stayed with him until an ambulance arrived a short time later. Once the man was loaded safely into the emergency vehicle, Sanders quietly left the scene.

"He was in better hands than with me, " she said.

As for what may have caused the terrifying car fire, Sanders said she believes something electronic must have malfunctioned in the front of the vehicle to have caused such extensive burns to the man's upper body.

News of the heroic roadside rescue spread quickly, with many praising the dedicated VA nurse for her courageous, lifesaving actions. Sanders brushed off any accolades.

"I don't believe that I'm a hero," she said the next day. "I was just in the right place at the right time and did what had to be done. It's not anything extraordinary."

Her colleagues and patients at the VA strongly disagree. To them, it's just another example of Sanders going above and beyond in her tireless service and commitment to others.

"When I found out about this incident, I was not surprised to hear Beth acted swiftly," said Toni Hickman, a VA NWIHCS Registered Nurse and Sander's supervisor. "She consistently jumps in to help Veterans and her co-workers on a day-to-day basis and is a respected member of our team."

A registered nurse for nine years and a certified nursing assistant for 15 years before that, Sanders said she was drawn to the nursing profession by her love of people and fascination with the human body. "I just love humans. I love them all," she said. " I'm very interested in how the body works, how can I help this person...it's the individual that needs help."

That deep sense of purpose and putting patients first guides Sanders in all aspects of her work, whether treating veterans at the VA or jumping into action to save a stranger's life.

"If somebody went down at the VA if I'm just walking in the hallway, I would do what I had to do to take care of them as well," she said. "Anything can happen at any given moment. And I would be there to take care of the individual."

Sanders celebrated her first anniversary at the Omaha VA just two days before the fiery rescue. She said she was drawn to working with Veterans after hearing great things about the VA and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

It's a decision the VA and the local community are immensely grateful for after Sanders' astounding act of bravery. Her supervisor said Sanders is a shining example of the caliber of nurses the VA aims to employ.

"I know she is humble about the situation and doesn’t feel she did anything special, but I am in awe of her selflessness and believe she saved this gentleman’s life," said Hickman. "I am so proud she is a VA nurse and a member of the Omaha Primary Care team." 

For her part, Sanders wants no personal glory from the incredible rescue. She hopes the spotlight will be shared with the bystanders who rushed to help her pull the man to safety.

"Everybody who was involved that helped, I think that they should be commended," she said. "People don't normally just go and help. They didn't have to come and help me. They deserve a lot of recognition."

As for the burning car victim, who has not been publicly identified, Sanders has one simple wish: "I hope that he's okay."

"I don't know what happened, but life happens for a reason," she added. "I hope that he can overcome whatever he's going to have to go through."