Three young brothers whose quick actions helped their father during a medical emergency behind the wheel were honored Friday by the Southern Pines Fire Department.
Garrett and Gavin Moneymaker, both 10, and their younger brother Gideon, 5, received Life Saving Awards on Oct. 2 for their response when their father, Keith Moneymaker, experienced a seizure while driving earlier this year.
According to the department, Moneymaker was driving on Old Morganton Road with the boys on July 31 when the emergency occurred. The vehicle crossed four lanes of traffic before coming to a stop in a wooded area.
The brothers helped move their father’s foot off the gas pedal, get the vehicle parked, open the doors, call 911 and flag down help.
“It doesn’t always happen where we have someone who is at the right place at the right time, and can do the right thing to provide help,” Fire Chief Mike Cameron said. “In this case specifically, it’s even more impressive that it’s people who are younger.”
Cameron presented each boy with a certificate and medal recognizing his role in helping their father.
Firefighters from B Shift who responded to the emergency attended the ceremony, along with Moore County paramedics Chloe Fuguay and Garrett Moore. Southern Pines Town Manager Reagan Parsons, members of the Moneymaker family and other fire department personnel also attended.
“That is the essence of being a good human being, when you go out of your way to help someone, and that’s something we want to teach our kids,” Cameron said. “While I’m sure these young men don’t necessarily see themselves as heroes, they were doing what they should be doing to save their dad.”
A Moore County native who has spent more than 20 years telling stories across North Carolina and beyond. He’s worked with CNN, WRAL, and CBS 17, and now serves as a Video Journalist for ABC11. Patrick has a passion for breaking news and has earned multiple awards for his coverage. He’s also a certified NWS SKYWARN Storm Spotter and was among the first news videographers in the state to become an FAA-certified drone pilot.
