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Motorcyclist thanks off-duty firefighters for saving his life

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MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Robert Hutchison takes it one day and one step at a time. He suffered a number of serious injuries after a motorcycle accident back in April.

"Called my wife, said I was heading back for lunch. That’s the last thing I remember," said Hutchiso.

Hutchison said he was riding from Stuart back to his home in West Palm Beach along the Beeline Highway that day. No one apparently hit Robert with a vehicle, so it’s unclear how he ended up in the median.

"There was no stroke, no heart attack, no medical reason for him to lose control," said wife Cindy Hutchison.

Capt. Eric Nelson, a 17-year firefighter and paramedic in Martin County, was also heading south on the Beeline to visit his uncle at the VA hospital. He saw the scene and pulled over.

"I saw someone lying face down in the dirt," said Capt. Nelson. "Always carry gloves in my pocket, pulled them out, walked over.”

When the captain approached, he discovered he wasn’t the only one with that idea. In fact, another of his off-duty Martin County colleagues, Max Sims, was already on scene.

"I don’t believe there’s anybody that wouldn’t have stopped and render aid because it was the right thing to do," said Capt. Nelson.

Palm Beach County emergency crews eventually took over.

"From what the doctors told me, he’s a miracle," said Cindy Hutchison.

Robert is grateful he could thank his good Samaritans in person. His grandchildren left a thank you note and a tub of cookies.

"They didn’t have to stop. It wasn’t like they were called out on duty. They just stopped because they felt like they needed to. God was good to me that day," said Hutchison.