A month after an off-duty San Antonio firefighter saved the life of a teen hockey player, the teen thanked the firefighter for giving him a second chance.
Graedy Renkema, 16, was at hockey practice when he collapsed when the firefighter's son ran to get his father to help.
"I didn't feel a heartbeat," Mike Leroy recalled the Aug. 12 incident to KENS5.com. He began CPR efforts.
A week later, the teen underwent open-heart surgery.
"Thank you for saving me, 'Big Mike,'" Graedy said as they met.
For 20 minutes, Leroy performed CPR until an ambulance was ready to transport the hockey player.
"It felt like eternity for me," said Graedy's mom, Meg.
“I’m so thankful other people were there to help with his resuscitation because in that moment, I was mom," Meg said.
“Get healthy, get back on the ice, we need him," Leroy told Graedy during a ceremony where they were reunited.
