Sometimes heroes arrive when you least expect them, like at Lakes Park in Fort Myers on a quiet Saturday morning.
Mia Garcia, 11, was collecting shells near the water on September 6 when she slipped in around 10 a.m. The little girl, who has autism, suddenly found herself in real danger.
That’s when a bystander, Bridgett Addison, made a split-second decision that changed everything. “I looked over I saw her in the water. So I just ran,” Addison recalled. Despite not knowing how to swim, she jumped into action and managed to guide Mia toward an embankment, scraping herself on the rocks in the process.
Days later, the two saw each other again for the very first time since that heart-pounding rescue. Addison came with balloons, a stuffed animal, and plenty of tears. The moment was as sweet as it was emotional. “I’m so happy to know you’re okay!” she told Mia as the two hugged tightly.
The reunion didn’t stop there. Both came prepared with hand-written cards. In hers, Addison told Mia, “I wanted you to know how very special you are. Continue being the beautiful person God has created you to be.”
Mia’s note was just as touching: “Thank you isn’t enough for what you did,” she wrote, adding a drawing of them holding hands.
Addison insists she’s not a hero. “I feel like if you see anybody in distress, help them,” she said humbly.
But Mia has no doubts. “She is a hero, she just is,” the 11-year-old declared. “[She] probably doesn’t see that.”
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