Bus driver hailed as hero for saving young child wandering alone on busy street

Barbara Baker, a driver and grandmother, stopped her bus on Route 12 in Tampa just after 7 a.m. on Aug. 31 to help the child, who was wearing pajamas, according to video posted by the Hillsborough Transit Authority (HART) on Wednesday.

She stopped the bus and hurried out its front door to help the child.

The boy was unable to communicate where his home was, so Baker returned to the bus with him in her arms.

"Mama," the boy can be heard saying in the video. His age was not immediately clear. 

Baker held him on her hip and continued to speak soothingly to him while they waited for help.

After knocking on doors in the neighborhood, police found the mother of the child within 20 minutes of the incident. The family lived 2½ blocks away from where the child was found, according to HART.

In an interview with HART following the incident, Baker said her "heart dropped" as soon as she saw the boy in the street.

Baker said that just recalling the incident made her emotional. 

"But knowing that the baby is home - that's a big thing for me," she said.

In a statement, HART's CEO, Scott Drainville, said, "Operator Baker's courage and attentiveness exemplify the dedication and heart that define our team."

In the interview with HART, Baker said she first started working for the agency in 2005 before leaving to drive trucks. She then returned in 2012, working there for the last 14 years.

"You are indeed what we need more of - unselfish, caring individuals who care about their community," said another.