The Boston Marathon bombing left many reeling in fear, but as with most tragedies comes a hero–and in this case it's Carlos Arredondo (who can be seen in the pic above wearing a cowboy hat). The 52-year-old anti-war protestor and Costa Rican immigrant has his share of experience dealing with catastrophic events, like the loss of both his sons, therefore he knew how to handle the chaos at the marathon–which many have likened to a "war zone."
The bombings that took place during Boston's special holiday rocked the nation leaving over 150 people critically injured, three dead–including one child,eight children wounded, and 17 fighting for their lives. But instead of fleeing in a state of panic, Arredondo–who was at the event with his wife Melinda__–jumped into action helping those wounded after the attacks took place.__
Arredondo tells ABC News that he jumped the fence after the first bomb went off to rush to help those in need and saw tons of bloodshed and people of all ages with lost limbs. Arredondo, who is also a member of the Red Cross disaster team, was seen in a powerful image helping a man who lost both of his legs during the explosion onto a wheelchair. He also helped other victims by wrapping pieces of clothing onto their injuries to stop the bleeding.
Read more ¿Qué más?: Boston Marathon explosions: 8-year-old boy among three killed in blasts that left nearly 150 injured
But Arredondo's backstory is a lot more than meets the eye. The U.K.'s Daily Mail reports that he lost his son Alexander while he was at war in Iraq in 2004 and his other son Brian, who became a drug addict after he couldn't cope with his brother's death, committed suicide in 2011. Arredondo couldn't deal with the loss of his soldier son either and even attempted suicide by locking himself in a van with five gallons of gasoline and setting it on fire.
Luckily he survived and has since then become a peace activist and changed his name to Alexander Brian Arredondo in honor of his sons. He and Melinda were at the marathon supporting National Guard runners who were honoring marines who died during the 9/11 attacks and were specifically dedicating the race to Alexander. They were also there to support a suicide awareness group up until the massacre that took place.
Arredondo wasn't the only Good Samaritan at the event which had many of the unharmed spectators helping out however they could. As many doctors continue to salvage those injured, and the FBI continues to investigate this horrific tragedy, it's humbling to see so many people uniting to help those in need. One thing for certain is that the entire nation was left stunned and heartbroken over the deadly turn of events, but our spirits are never broken. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the victims' families and hope that they receive justice for these inhumane acts.
Image via ABC News
