A Good Samaritan bicyclist recently saved the life of a boy with special needs in Gilbert earlier this week. His family is grateful that the quick thinking of a complete stranger helped avert what could likely have been a tragedy.
ABC 15 in Phoenix reports that 11-year-old Rowan Brown, who has Down’s Syndrome, was playing at a local park on his scooter. He was being accompanied by his caretaker when the incident occurred.
According to Natalie Brown, Rowan’s mother, her son was not slowing down like he usually would when he is on his scooter. Instead, he decided to go faster and faster, leaving his caretaker struggling to catch up to him.
Brad Henry, who also lives in the neighborhood, just happened to be out on his mountain bike helping a friend to find their lost dog when he passed Rowan. At first, Henry didn’t think much of it until he saw Rowan’s caretaker running after the boy. Rowan was headed straight for Germann Road and Higley, which can be a very busy stretch of road.
Henry took off and tried to catch up to Rowan and his scooter.
“I was pedaling as fast as I could to try to reach the boy before he got hit by a car. As I got to him, I just kind of hopped off my bike and just kind of grabbed him,” Henry told ABC reporter, Sonu Wasu.
Henry’s action was just in a nick of time, too, for an oncoming car had to swerve to avoid hitting them.
The Brown family is incredibly grateful to Brad Henry for his heroic action in saving Rowan’s life. Henry, however, says he just did what he hopes any other person would have done for his own son or daughter and is happy that he was in the right place at the right time.
