Emergency situations bring out the best and worst in people.
Mostly, humans either rise and kick into gear or crumble into inaction.
They fire up, fade away or lash out, diving in to help or fleeing.
The nuances of such polarised responses were laid bare on one Tuesday morning on a Coast bike path.
Nearing the end of our daybreak ride, my friend and I were passed by a large group of happy, chatty blokes on bikes.
They were travelling at pace, but I had heard them coming and dropped behind so that we were in single file.
Another group of four or five cyclists was coming towards us.
We could see their headlamps as they rounded a slight bend. The small and large groups neared each other.
Someone in the small pack was startled by the peloton and braked hard.
The rider behind caught his wheel and, in moments, a lithe, fit, older man was sprawled on the concrete pathway.
My friend and I were metres away.
I hollered at the disappearing peloton that a man was down, as my friend and I swung around to help.
It would have been unthinkable to continue home, even though the collision did not involve us.
The man was on his hands and knees, bleeding profusely, groaning and swaying slightly.
My friend – an Energizer Bunny – is also a handy first-aider and doesn’t mind taking charge.
She was in emergency response mode: assessing, reassuring and sourcing something to put pressure on his wounds.
Spare socks found new purpose.
I dialled 000.
One of the man’s riding mates provided his details.
Action, inaction, paralysis, nausea: the variation in responses was enormous.
Some of the peloton reappeared, having turned around.
A mate of the injured man flew at them, enraged, screaming that they should have made room on the path.
Someone yelled back.
The tension was palpable.
It looked like a punch-up was likely.
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My friend, still helping the bleeding man, yelled for them to move apart.
Screaming over the top of an injured person seemed extra barbaric.
The situation defused to a tense stand-off.
Emergencies bring out many responses: all understandable.
But thank goodness for people who dive in and help, like my friend.
Dr Jane Stephens is a UniSC journalism lecturer, media commentator and writer. The views expressed are her own.
