Three inmates in North Carolina were picking up trash on the side of the road last Wednesday, when the guard who was watching them passed out.  (It happened in Elizabethtown, about 50 miles northwest of Wilmington.)

But instead of running off, they all opted to help him, and probably saved his life.

The guard’s name is James Smith.  He looks like he’s in his 60s.  And it turned out he had a stroke.

At first, they thought he just fell over, but when they went to help him up he had trouble answering questions.  So they grabbed his phone and called 911.

Paramedics got him to a hospital, and he’s still recovering but should be okay.  All three inmates got an award for it, which could help them land a job once they get out.

One of them is a guy named Roy Smith, who says he thinks of James as a friend, not just a cop.  And he never even considered running off, because quote, “If that was my father laying beside the road, I would want somebody to help him.”

(CBS17)