A Georgia police officer’s act of kindness has gone viral after a runner collapsed less than half a mile from the finish – and the officer stepped in to help him complete the race.
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. John Cain was working at the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon in Savannah, Georgia on Sunday.
He was stationed near the race’s finish line when he saw runner Robert McCoy suddenly collapse as he was in the race’s home stretch.
“While he was on the ground, he kept telling us that he had to finish the race he had to finish the race,” Cain told WSAV News in Georgia.
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McCoy was bleeding from his face and knees, the result of striking the pavement face first. He was also completely exhausted, unable to stand under his own power.
But the avid local runner was adamant: he was going to finish this race, no matter the cost.
“The emotions that you watch a person go through, knowing that he’s facing defeat and that you have an opportunity to help them was overwhelming to me and that’s the reason I felt compelled to help him,” says Cain.
So the 27-year veteran of the SCMPD helped McCoy up, supported him by the arm, and ran with him, side by side, all the way to the finish line.
“I felt the need to help him finish this race so bad I would have carried him if I needed to,” Cain said.
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A photo of the touching moment has gone viral since it was posted to the SCMPD Facebook page, having amassed over 300,000 likes.
But Cain said he didn’t do it for the social media stardom.
For his part, McCoy is in good spirits and recovering in a local hospital from his injuries. He says he plans to share his completion medal with Sgt. Cain if he would accept it.
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