Accolades continue to shower the Good Samaritan bus driver who rescued a woman on the brink of suicide in Buffalo last month. Darnell Barton has now been recognized by both City Hall and by one of the most famous businessmen in the world.Thursday's proclamation of November 7 as 'Darnell Barton Day' in the City of Buffalo was just the latest in what has been an "overwhelming" time in Barton's life. News organizations and social media quickly embraced Barton's actions on the afternoon of October 18.
Driving his NFTA Metro bus on Elmwood Avenue, Barton spotted a woman standing above the Scajaquada Expressway on the opposite side of the guardrail. Barton stepped out of his bus and talked the woman down from the precarious perch as he waited for help to arrive. It was all caught on video and the good deed went viral across the globe.
Mayor Byron Brown called Barton's response a prime example of the City of Good Neighbors.
"We are very proud of Darnell Barton," said Brown. "His courageous actions show the kind of citizens that we have in the City of Buffalo."
Barton says he has been overwhelmed by the kind words he has received from places near and far, from Uruguay to Japan. He was certain to praise the work of the others who helped him on that fateful day.
"It was myself, it was the passengers, it was the students, it was the corrections officers [and] the counselor that showed up. It was a team effort," Barton said.
Upon receiving the honor Thursday, the soft-spoken Barton talked about the lesson that can be learned from the incident.
"There are many, but if I can encapsulate one, I guess it would be let's administer the grace that we would have administered to us. If we want a better world, we have to be part of that," Barton said.
Barton's actions resonated with New York City billionaire Donald Trump, who sent a letter and a $10,000 check to the 37-year-old bus driver. The real estate magnate said he was impressed by Barton's "bravery and compassion."
"He was very favorably impressed by Mr. Barton's actions. It warmed his heart. He said it was something that he would like to see other citizens do when they have the opportunity," Mayor Brown said.
Producers from the Rachael Ray Show were also impressed. A crew from the daytime talk show was in Buffalo recently, filming for an upcoming segment on Barton.
Barton says he plans to put the money to good use. He says he hasn't yet spoken to the woman whose life he saved, but he says he plans to do so when the time is right.