When disaster strikes or a need is recognized, there have always been Whidbey Islanders who go above and beyond the call of duty as citizens, neighbors, friends and even sons and daughters.

The Island County Chapter of the American Red Cross set out to find some Real Heroes, whom it then honored at a special event March 4 at the Oak Harbor Elks Lodge.

Their stories all speak of courage and selfless actions.

One of the most dramatic is that of 26-year-old Scott Fleming, who was given an Adult Good Samaritan Award.

Fleming, son of Maryanne and Scott Fleming of South Whidbey and a graduate of South Whidbey High School, is a senior park aide at Deception Pass State Park. He had just returned from his day’s work on the evening of Nov. 13, 2002, when he heard a crash.

Running outside, Fleming found John Lobbestael, an Oak Harbor High School junior, who had been driving home from football practice when he fell asleep and crashed into a tree.

Even though the car was partially in flames, Fleming moved quickly to help. Lobbestael was wedged inside, yelling for help, and the driver’s door wouldn’t open.

Fleming ran to the other side and freed Lobbestael through that door, pulling him to safety. Moments later the car, fully engulfed in flames, exploded.

“I didn’t have much time to think about it,” Fleming said. “But it did run through my mind that the car could blow up with me inside it.”

The second vehicle on the scene happened to be a KIRO-TV news van that had been covering a death that day at Deception Pass.

“A woman had slipped on the rocks and been killed,” Fleming said. “The news crews were already up here, and got footage of the car blowing up.”

Fleming stayed with Lobbestael until rescue workers and Lobbestael’s parents arrived.

The football player suffered broken facial bones and severely bruised legs, and had to sit out the rest of the season. But because of Fleming, he will have a chance at future seasons.

Fleming was later interviewed about his role in the rescue and was featured in a TV segment about a week later.

” ‘Thank you’ seems like such a small thing to say for the life of a child,” said Lobbestael’s mother.

Fleming himself thinks of that fiery night every day, because the charred remains of the tree still stand in front of his Cornet Bay residence.

“It’s just 50 feet away,” Fleming said. “And when it’s windy the black branches sometimes fall.”

Fleming says it’s hard to think Lobbestael might not be alive if it hadn’t been for his actions.

“God deemed me worthy to be put to the test, and I’m just happy I could go against a challenge,” Fleming said.

His parents also credit “divine intervention, being in the right place at the right time.” And they note that his athletic strengths might have helped. Fleming had been captain of both the wrestling and football teams at South Whidbey High School.

“But he’s also very caring,” the Flemings said. “He’s a great kid.”

Also honored by the Red Cross at the Real Heroes Awards breakfast were these Whidbey Islanders.

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class James N. Hall, a member of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s Search And Rescue unit, received the Emergency Services Award for his part in the May 2002 rescue of an injured climber on Mount Erie, near Anacortes.

The climber had fallen 100 feet from a cliff onto a ledge below. The Navy rescue helicopter with its crew of five took off just before sunset and arrived within minutes.

When Hall was lowered to assess the climber’s condition, he found there was a broken pelvis, internal organ damage and severe internal bleeding. Hall “packaged” the climber for transport and, assisted by local firefighters, traversed the treacherous cliff edge to the helicopter pickup point.

A half-hour after sunset and hovering 30 feet above the treetops, the helicopter picked up the climber and headed to Harborview in Seattle.

Craig Carsten’s children, Kayla, 11, and Jeff, 9, were given the Youth Good Samaritan Award after they helped save their father’s life last August.

Carsten fell 10 feet from a ladder and impaled himself on a fence post. Kayla called 911, but help was delayed because the Carstens’ address repeatedly came up incorrectly at the Island County dispatch center. During that time Kayla remained calm, taking the phone to her father and applying pressure to his wound.

Once Kayla confirmed the address, she sent Jeff out to the road to flag down the emergency crews.

Their father was taken to the hospital, then to Harborview Medical Center, Seattle. He has had three surgeries, and is now back to active duty thanks to his “calm, level-headed and loving children.”

At 3:30 in the morning on Dec. 9, 2002, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jason Haynes received a phone call from a friend, Chet Dahl.

Dahl’s wife, Donna, was in labor and the couple didn’t expect the midwife to arrive in time.

Haynes grabbed the only medical kit he had at hand, a Unit 1 combat field kit, and headed out his front door. He made it in time to catch the 9 pound, 4 ounce girl, and he clamped the umbilical cord with hemostats more likely to be used to remove a bullet.

Haynes received an Adult Good Samaritan Award.

Navy Lt. Shawn R. Wattles was traveling south on Highway 20 north of Dugualla Bay when a car he was following crossed the center line into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with a truck.

Wattles reacted quickly, blocking traffic and alerting other motorists of the crash.

He then employed the system the Red Cross calls “Check, Call, Care.” He assessed the safety and extent of personal injury, had someone call 911, then administered the care he was qualified to give.

Wattles treated one victim for shock, applied direct pressure to slow the loss of blood for two trapped occupants and immobilized the hand of the fourth victim, preventing loss of a thumb and forefinger.

Wattles will receive the Red Cross Role Model Award.

Patty Schrag, an Oak Harbor teacher, was given the Educator Award for freeing a woman trapped in a car in the water.

Schrag saw a car go into Kennedy’s Lagoon along Highway 20 north of Coupeville. After calling for help on her cell phone she waded to the car in cold, waist-deep water. She found a woman in the driver’s seat, twisted in the seatbelt and holding herself out of the water with her hands on the ceiling of the car.

Unable to free the woman from the seatbelt, Schrag borrowed a knife from a state trooper on the scene and cut the restraint and pull the woman to safety.

Once emergency officials were on scene and had control of the matter, Schrag headed off to work, wet clothes and all.

Derel Sunday was standing watch on June 30, 2002, as Whidbey Island Naval Air Station’s command duty officer when he heard a report of a swimmer in distress in Crescent Harbor. He quickly traveled to the scene, where he found a swimmer struggling in the current 75 yards offshore.

After notifying search and rescue, Sunday kicked off his shoes and swam out with a large piece of driftwood, instructing the young man to hold on so Sunday could swim him ashore.

The man had been crabbing with two compoanions when their small boat overturned. The two other victims drowned.

Sunday received the Red Cross Military Award.

The Volunteer Service Award was given to Bill and Elise Junkans, who have lived in Coupeville since 1992 and have been dedicated volunteers for the Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation.

The active couple begins each day by feeding homeless cats in Coupeville. They can also be found using humane traps to capture feral cats to bring them to WAIF to be spayed or neutered and ultimately adopted.

The Junkans socialize cats and kittens for adoption, and they financially assist neighbors, friends and acquaintances with pets’ health issues.

Bill travels to South Whidbey each week to pick up blankets for the dogs. He also transports dogs back and forth to groomers as needed. Elise, a vegetarian, has been known to cook turkey around the holidays and serve it to the shelter cats.

When the Junkans aren’t bringing treats, food and toys for WAIF animals or staff, they are busy collecting money, support and feral cats to help make the island a more animal-friendly place.

Joan Soltys contributed to this story.