MIAMI (WSVN) - Two first responder brothers sprang into action to save a runner who had collapsed along the Miami Marathon and Half Marathon’s route in downtown Miami.
Hialeah Fire Rescue Lt. Francisco de Paz and his brother George, who was a medic in the U.S. Navy, were participating in the annual event on Sunday when they encountered the ailing runner near the Miami-Dade County Courthouse along West Flagler Street.
“We just noticed somebody down on the floor,” de Paz said. “We decided to stop, me and my brother. His pulse is getting faster. I noticed his breathing getting slower. Then, next thing you know, we can’t feel a pulse anymore. He’s not breathing, and we realized what needs to be done.”
The brothers then began performing chest compressions and CPR.
“Within a couple minutes, thankfully, he got a pulse, and he started moving again,” de Paz said.
Thanks to the brothers’ help, the man was helped further by medical professionals, who arrived within minutes.
George, who lives in Orlando, had given the man mouth-to-mouth.
After the heroic deed, the brothers continued on their run.
“It’s part of the job, and the job is 24/7,” Hialeah Fire Rescue Capt. David Rodriguez said. “Whether you’re really here on duty or you’re home, it’s part of the job.”
“We didn’t care about the time of the race,” de Paz said. “We were just glad we were making a difference and helping somebody out.”
De Paz is also a registered nurse and is trained in hazmat work as well.
He said everyone can save a life like he did, and all they have to do is take a four-hour CPR course. He encourages everybody who can take the course to do so.
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