What began as a normal summer bike ride for two teenagers in Fruitland, Iowa, turned into a potentially life-saving rescue after they spotted an elderly woman lying in her yard and calling for help after spending more than 16 hours trapped outside in the heat.
KWQC-TV6 reporter Chandler Brindley reported that Gunner Skidmore and Kohen Chick were riding their bikes Tuesday morning when they noticed something that did not look right near a home along 57th Street South. The boys were heading toward Muscatine when Chick saw what appeared to be a woman on the ground, and the two decided to turn back and check.
At first, the boys were not even sure what they were seeing, but once they found the woman, the situation became clear very quickly.
“I said, ‘Hey ma’am, are you OK?’” Skidmore told Brindley. “She was like, ‘Yeah, I need help. Call 911.’”
A Normal Morning Took A Serious Turn
Skidmore told Brindley that his morning had started like many others during summer break. He said he got up, ate a Pop-Tart, scrolled through TikTok, and then received a FaceTime call from his best friend, Kohen Chick, asking if he wanted to go for a bike ride.
The two boys got on their bikes and headed out, with no reason to believe the ride would become anything more than a routine summer outing. As they traveled along the road, however, Chick noticed something off and asked Skidmore whether he had seen the woman back there.
“I was like, ‘No,’” Skidmore said, explaining that they went back and looked around until they finally spotted her.
That decision to turn around is what changed everything. Many people might have kept going, either because they were unsure what they saw or because they did not want to intrude on someone’s property, but the boys trusted the feeling that something was wrong long enough to check.
In moments like this, hesitation is understandable, especially for teenagers who may not know whether approaching a stranger is safe or appropriate. What matters is that they did not ignore the situation, and that small choice may have made the difference between a frightening ordeal and something far worse.
The Boys Called For Help
Brindley reported that the teens were initially unsure whether they should walk up to the woman, so they called Skidmore’s mother for help. Once she arrived, she called 911.
“She showed up pretty fast and then my mom called 911,” Skidmore said. “She didn’t have her phone or water or anything. She was there for like 16-plus hours.”
According to Skidmore and Chick, the woman told them she had been lying outside since about 5 p.m. Monday. By the time they found her Tuesday morning, she had spent the night in the yard without a phone, without water, and without an easy way to get anyone’s attention.
Chick told Brindley the woman appeared scared, and he said her face was covered in bugs when they found her.
“You could just tell because her face, she was covered in all these bugs and stuff,” Chick said.
The image is difficult to think about: an elderly woman alone in her own yard, close enough to the road that help might eventually pass by, but still out of sight enough that she remained there overnight. It is the kind of emergency that can happen quietly, especially in rural or semi-rural areas where neighbors may not immediately know someone has fallen.
She May Have Fallen While Feeding Her Horse
The boys believe the woman may have slipped while feeding her horse. Brindley reported that she told them she had rolled from the backyard of her home toward the front yard because she was not getting help.
That detail suggests she was trying to save herself for hours, moving as much as she could in hopes of being seen. Without her phone, and with no water in the heat, each passing hour likely made the situation more dangerous.
Skidmore and Chick said they believe the timing of their bike ride was critical. Had they not been in that area when they were, they fear the woman may not have survived much longer.
“A few more hours and she definitely like wouldn’t have made it,” Skidmore said.
It is not hard to understand why the boys think that. Heat, dehydration, fear, and the physical strain of lying outside for more than 16 hours can become dangerous very quickly for anyone, but especially for an elderly person who may already be dealing with limited mobility or other health concerns.
Their response was not complicated, but it was exactly what the situation needed: they stopped, checked, called an adult, and made sure emergency help was contacted.
Help Arrived After A Long Night Outside
Brindley reported that the woman was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Muscatine after she was found.
Skidmore’s mother has since been in contact with the woman’s family and has been helping care for the horse while the woman receives medical treatment. According to the report, she has been keeping the animal watered and fed during the woman’s recovery.
That detail adds a quieter kind of kindness to the story. The rescue did not end when the ambulance left; the family also made sure the woman’s animal was cared for, which likely matters deeply to someone who may have been injured while trying to feed it.
Skidmore’s mother also told KWQC she plans to make a lasagna and bring it to the woman’s home when she returns from the hospital.
In small communities, that kind of care often becomes the part of the story that lingers after the emergency has passed. The first act was calling for help, but the second was making sure life at home did not fall apart while the woman was recovering.
Two Teens Praised For Acting Quickly
Brindley reported that Skidmore and Chick are now being hailed as heroes, though the boys have returned to their normal summer activities after the rescue.
The praise is deserved, not because they performed some dramatic rescue, but because they paid attention. They saw something strange, questioned it, doubled back, and got help instead of assuming someone else would handle it.
That kind of awareness is simple, but it is also rare enough to matter. In a busy world where many people are looking down at phones or rushing past anything uncomfortable, two teenagers noticed a person in distress and treated it as urgent.
The anchors at KWQC also praised the boys after Brindley’s report, calling it a very nice job.
Their actions show that heroism does not always look like a dangerous rescue or a big public moment. Sometimes it looks like two kids on bikes who choose not to ignore a woman calling for help from the grass.
A Close Call With A Grateful Ending
The woman’s name was not released in Brindley’s report, but the details shared by Skidmore and Chick make clear how frightening the ordeal must have been. She had reportedly been outside since Monday evening, unable to call anyone, without water, and exposed to the heat until the boys happened to ride by the next morning.
It is easy to imagine how differently the story might have ended if they had chosen another route, left a little later, or dismissed what they saw as nothing. Instead, their decision to stop turned a normal summer ride into the moment that brought help after a very long night.
Skidmore and Chick may have gone back to their regular routines, but for the woman they found, their quick action likely meant everything.
For now, the Fruitland teens are being recognized for doing what adults always hope young people will do in a crisis: notice, care, and get help fast.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
