A Florida man came to the rescue when he saw two small children in extreme danger on Sunday in Brevard County.
John Brittingham was driving southbound on A1A when the incident happened and he is being credited for saving two lives, WESH reported Tuesday.
A pair of toddlers had wandered into the busy Cocoa Beach roadway and the moment Brittingham realized what was happening, he knew it was up to him to rescue them.
“I was terrified thinking of what could have happened to them. The rest of my life would have been ruined,” he recalled.
Video footage shows the children walking in the roadway as a white car in front of them stops. Moments later, Brittingham appears in the frame and picks up the toddlers who appeared to be relieved he was there to help.
Brittingham then quickly moves off the roadway to safety:
Brittingham later said his adrenaline was pumping when he performed the rescue and it left him drained for hours afterwards.
When he saw the toddlers and stepped into the roadway to save them, he put out his arm to stop traffic from hitting the children and himself, per Fox 35.
The father of five who has several grandchildren told the outlet, “Anything walking A1A is dangerous. Seeing two toddlers crossing the road by themselves was absolutely shocking. I just couldn’t believe it.”
He added, “You see the dash cam, they put their little arms out, oh my God, they’re adorable.” Brittingham went to the first house and was able to reunite the toddlers with their family whom the Fox article said were unaware the children had escaped through an open gate.
Authorities with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office are working to learn more about how the incident occurred, and Brittingham is glad he was able to rescue the toddlers.
Social media users were quick to share their thoughts on Brittingham’s actions, one person writing, “That dudes a hero!! Well done sir.”
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