COOPER CITY, Fla. (CBS12) — What started as a simple good deed quickly turned into a life-or-death situation, and three Florida teens didn’t hesitate to step up.
On the afternoon of April 19, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said that 65-year-old Diego Fernandez-Delgado found himself stranded along South Flamingo Road after a tire blew out. With a dead phone and no way to call for help, he pulled over and tried to manage on his own.
Not far away, inside a McDonald’s, three Cooper City High School students, Logan Royer, Cody Magrone, and Brody Murray, noticed him struggling.
A simple act of helping a stranded motorist turned lifesaving April 19 when three Cooper City teens called 911 and assisted a man later found to be having a heart attack. (BSO)
They chose to go outside and help.
As they got closer, the sheriff’s office said it became clear this was more than a flat tire. Fernandez-Delgado didn’t look well. He appeared weak, was in pain, and had trouble breathing. The teens quickly realized something was wrong and made the call to 911.
“Hi, we’re at the light between Sterling and University. There was an old guy on the side of the road. We’re helping change his tire, and he did not feel good at all,” one of the teens told the dispatcher.
Trying to stay calm, the caller explained what they had just seen unfold.
“We were in McDonald’s getting food, and we saw this old guy, his tire’s blown out. So we were helping him, and he said he wanted to call 911,” the teen said.
The teens answered questions, described their location near Flamingo and Stirling, and provided details about the vehicle, all while staying by Fernandez-Delgado’s side.
They did not leave him alone, the sheriff’s office said.
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Instead, they stayed with him, followed instructions from the dispatcher, and kept him as comfortable as possible while waiting for help to arrive, according to BSO.
Moments later, first responders reached the scene. Body camera video captured the urgency, with a deputy asking, “Sir, you okay? We have rescue here to check you out. Your chest hurt?” while preparing to transport him to the hospital.
Three Cooper City teens helped a 65‑year‑old driver with a flat tire on April 19 before realizing he was having a heart attack, calling 911 and staying until help arrived, actions officials say saved his life. (Broward Sheriff’s Office)
That quick response proved critical.
At the hospital, doctors determined Fernandez-Delgado had suffered a heart attack, a medical emergency where timing matters. First responders said the teens’ actions likely saved his life.
After undergoing several procedures, Fernandez-Delgado is now back home and recovering.
His son, Cristian Fernandez, said his father had no way to call for help and, in a moment of desperation, prayed.
“God didn’t send angels with wings,” he said. “He sent those boys.”
Cooper City officials plan to recognize Royer, Magrone, and Murray on May 12 with a proclamation honoring what they did.
After stopping to assist a stranded driver with a blown tire in Broward County on April 19, three high school students recognized signs of a medical emergency and called 911, likely saving his life. (BSO)
While the 911 call was crucial, it all started with a simple decision. Three teenagers saw someone in need and chose to help.