Three Florida teens who stopped to help change a man’s tire on the side of the road ended up saving his life after he started having a heart attack without a phone to call for help.
The trio of high school students — Brody Murray, 17; Logan Royer, 16; and Cody Magrone,16 — were dining at a McDonald’s on April 19 when they noticed Diego Fernandez-Delgado changing his tire and decided to help, according to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.
Fernandez-Delgado, 65, suddenly appeared unwell in the middle of changing the tire and asked the teens to call an ambulance, Magrone said in a video posted by police on social media.
Royer promptly called 911 to help Fernandez-Delgado, who appeared “very tired, very pale” and started experiencing chest pains.
“There’s an old guy on the side of the road. We’re helping change his tire, and he does not feel good at all,” Royer said in 911 audio posted by the department.
Fernandez-Delgado was diagnosed with a heart attack after first responders quickly arrived. He has since been released from the hospital, where he underwent “several procedures,” cops wrote in a statement.
“I think it was very lucky. It’s just right place, right time. Maybe God put us there to help this guy out,” Murray told Good Morning America.
“It doesn’t cost anything to be a good person, and you never know where it could lead to,” Magrone added.
Fernandez-Delgado’s son, Cristian Fernandez, said in a statement released by police that he was deeply grateful for the boys — who ultimately saved his father’s life as he didn’t have a working phone with him to call for help.
“God didn’t send angels with wings,” Cristian said in a statement. “He sent those boys.”
The City of Cooper City formally recognized the teens’ quick thinking and generosity during a Special Recognition Meeting on Tuesday.
“While their decision to call 911 was pivotal, what sets this story apart is what led up to that moment,” the sheriff’s office said in its statement.
“Their actions serve as a powerful reminder: sometimes, the difference between life and death starts with simply choosing to step in and help.”
