TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — A Georgia couple celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary in Treasure Island had to take an unexpected trip to the hospital after suffering an accident while riding motorized bikes.
They’re doing just fine but say they aren’t sure how bad things could have turned out if not for two Good Samaritans.
“The last thing I remember is going through an intersection down the road here and then I woke up in an ambulance,” said 68-year-old Tom Aycock.
Tom and his 64-year-old wife Linda were riding their motorized bikes in the bike lane along Blind Pass Road when Tom somehow ended up lying in the street, unconscious and bleeding.
“People were just going around him, they were just swinging out around him, and I thought they were going to hit him, so I got behind him about 10 feet and just started yelling at him, yelling his name, and there was no response, I thought he was dead,” said Linda.
That’s when a couple of Tampa Bay locals, on their way home from work with their company Oasis Pavers and Pools, pulled their truck over. Out jumped Brian Godden and Mike Astuto.
“By the time we got to Tom he was regaining consciousness, so we helped him sit up and helped him clean off the blood that was on his face and arms,” said Godden. “And Mike started directing traffic to keep us safe and the ambulance came and kind of took care of business.”
However, Brian, who spent 13 years as a firefighter with Southern Manatee Fire and Rescue, knew there was still more to be done. After all, Linda and Tom were on vacation, they had no family or friends to call for help.
“Brian went with Tommy to the hospital, and Mike took all of our stuff back to the motel and put me on our truck and drove me to the hospital, and they just held our hands the entire way through it, if it hadn’t been for them I don’t know what I would have done,” said Linda.
Tom suffered some bumps and bruises as well as a couple of chipped teeth but overall he’s feeling fine and can’t wait to return next year for another vacation, where he knows people are looking after him.
“God does not drop miracles in your lap he brings them through other people and these two were our miracles,” said Linda.
“We all have to be here for each other always,” said Godden.
“Yeah, it’s important especially now just the way the world’s been the last couple years people just need some help sometimes,” said Astuto.
