Three Rich Men Abducted A School Bus Full Of Children and Buried Them Alive
And the heroic 14-year-old who stepped up to save the lives of 26 children
The Bus Ride Home That Turned Into A Nightmare
On a Thursday afternoon in July 1976, the students of Dairyland Elementary School’s summer school program went field trip to the city pool. The school bus driver, Ed Ray, was driving 26 students between the ages of 5 and 14 back home after a fun day at the pool. The fun day quickly turned into an absolute nightmare, when Ed spotted a broken-down van on the side of the road. Believing the driver needed help, Ed pulled over.
When he got out to check on the driver, three gun-wielding men wearing pantyhose over their faces jumped out. The men pointed their guns at the children, causing them to scream and cry. The gunmen ordered them to all get off the bus and into the back of two white vans. Ed sternly told the kids to listen to the men. Ed was usually a cheery man. When the children saw their favorite bus driver so uncharacteristically serious, they understood this was a serious situation. The trust the children had in their beloved bus driver helped keep them somewhat calm.
