Teen awarded for "outstanding actions" following bus incident

Joshua Bond was on his way home from an Army Cadet event when his bus broke sharply, throwing a man and a woman down the aisle to the floor.  The couple, both middle-aged, were badly injured, with lacerations, head injuries, bruising, and spinal fractures. Joshua rushed to the casualties, applying pressure to stop any bleeding and ensuring they kept still to avoid further injury. 

The ambulance was called but was not coming fast enough. Time was of the essence, so Joshua had the bus driver drop the couple at the hospital, with other passengers loaded off on the way. He stayed with the casualties, continuing to treat their injuries and handed them over to the paramedics at the hospital, where they were treated. 

For this, Joshua earned an award for ‘Meritorious Action’. But this is not the first time the Cadet Sergeant displayed award-winning courage. 

Last year, Joshua witnessed an elderly man trip and fell into a gate post, causing a nasty head wound. The cadet applied pressure to the wound before dressing it.  There were no available ambulances, so Joshua’s mum drove them to the local hospital while he continued to assess and treat the casualty.  The cadet handed the elderly man over to the hospital, where the casualty’s wound was cleaned and treated. These actions were recognised with the ‘Praiseworthy Action’ award. 

After winning both awards for his heroism, Brigadier Gary McDade sent Joshua a hand-written letter, which said: 

“I have recently been made aware of you having been awarded for your second certificate from ACCT 英国  (Army Cadet Charitable Trust UK)  for outstanding actions in response to situations you’ve found yourself in.

“On two occasions, you’ve stepped up, taken control of stressful situations and made a real difference. You are an outstanding example of all that is good about Army Cadets, and I’m very pleased that you’ve been appropriately recognised.”

Joshua is a Cadet Sergeant in the Army Cadets, where he learned his lifesaving first aid skills alongside nearly 40,000 other young people. These essential skills are part of the Army Cadet curriculum, preparing cadets to handle stressful situations, accidents, and emergencies. It’s just one of many valuable skills cadets learn. The Army Cadets provide an inclusive environment for young people aged 12 to 17, offering opportunities for personal development and the chance to experience activities they might not find elsewhere.