4:35pm Tuesday 21st April 2009
When bus driver Abdul Khan saw a baby hanging from the jaws of a crazed pitbull dog he exploded into action.
Mr Khan, 43, from Thornton Heath, and his colleagues Sunil Nadaranjan Raj and Sreejith Sugarajan, rushed to help save one-year-old Amir Santos – who was dragged 60 yards by the ferocious animal.
Thankfully the baby survived and this week Mr Khan, who works for National Express, was nominated for the Act of Bravery award at this year’s Croydon Champions.
This year’s award is being sponsored by Mirch Masala, an award-winning Indian restaurant chain which has branches across south London.
Mr Khan, who has worked for National Express for five years, has an 18-month-old daughter and this, he said, encouraged him to save Amir.
He said: “I did not think about the danger I was facing.
"The first thing that came into my mind was ‘how can I save this baby and help this lady’?
“I could not hold myself back.”
The act of bravery award has been given to many real life heroes over the years.
Last year army sniper Corporal Simon Wiggins won the title after losing a leg in a landmine explosion on patrol in Afghanistan.
Despite enormous hardship Corporal Wiggins was back at work within six months training new recruits.
In 2007, pupils from Haling Manor School rescued their friend Corey Wilson, 14, after he slipped underneath a double decker bus.
They alerted the driver who stopped just before Corey was crushed and then helped lift the bus so he could escape.
• If you know anyone who deserves this honour or any of our other categories nominate them today.
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