The St. Lucie County Fire Board has honored two good Samaritans. Cheryl Brittingham and Jim Hazen helped save the lives of their elderly neighbors.
It happened on October 7 after Hurricane Matthew. The Port Saint Lucie neighborhood on Fairfax Avenue was still dealing with a power outage.
"I was walking down the street and heard a generator running. I believe it was coming from my neighbor's garage," Cheryl Brittingham said.
But the garage door was closed. Cheryl knocked on the front door, but no one answered. She called her husband and the pair made the decision to go inside.
"He was in the kitchen on the floor and she was slumped over the little breakfast table that they have," her husband Jim Hazen said.
Jim says he and Cheryl picked up the elderly wife and carried her outside, then went back in for her husband.
The couple was suffering from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Paramedics arrived and told Jim and Cheryl that they found the elderly couple just in time.
"I am just happy that she got up, got over there knocked on the door and got me and we got them out. That's all there is. It's doing the right thing," Jim said.
The elderly couple's family members are happy they have such caring neighbors.
"It was just the right thing to do," said Cheryl. "And I would want someone to do the very same thing for my parents or anyone."
The husband who was rescued is out of the hospital. His wife is still recovering.
