By EMS1 Staff
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — An EMS captain who noticed a family stranded in their car went out of his way to save their vacation.
My Panhandle reported that Bay County EMS Captain Joel Welch was standing by during the annual Gulf Coast Iron Man competition in case any athletes should need medical assistance when he noticed a car in a nearby parking lot.
“It had the hood up, I didn’t think much about it,” Welch said.
Six hours later, the car was still there, so Welch pulled over to see if he could help.
“Found out it was a single mother, with her three kids, coming from Montgomery, coming down to the beach for the weekend,” he said.
The mother told Welch that she was unable to get a hold of family members after her car broke down, and that the family had spent the night in the car.
“Well if I leave, they were gonna be here another night, or two or three,” Welch recalled thinking.
Welch drove to a hotel, bought them a room and then drove the family to the hotel so they could check in. He said he did not believe his act of kindness was considered a good deed; it was just part of the job.
“Sometimes it’s just holding someone’s hands, or some kind words, or listening to them,” he said. “Not giving them medicine, you know treating a broken leg, that kind of stuff, but reaching out with a hand and a heart.”