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Orange County utility workers praised after rescuing young boy on highway

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Published  February 6, 2025 5:17am EST
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FOX 35 Orlando

Utility workers saved a child after spotting him on a busy highway

Two Orange County Utility workers spotted a small child on a busy highway and brought him to safety. FOX 35's Matt Trezza spoke to the two hero's who saved that child's life.

The Brief

    • Utility workers in Orange County are being praised after rescuing a young boy on the highway while they were on shift after Hurricane Milton.
    • The two workers that completed the heartwarming deed are electrician Arune Persaud and industrial mechanic Abdiel Otero.
    • Although both the workers have received kind words of gratitude from a multitude of community members, they have remained humble in their lifesaving efforts, saying they did what they had to do to help.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Two utility workers in Orange County rescued a young boy on the highway while they were on shift after Hurricane Milton. 

The two workers that completed the heartwarming deed are electrician Arune Persaud and industrial mechanic Abdiel Otero.

Although both the workers have received kind words of gratitude from a multitude of community members, they have remained humble in their lifesaving efforts, saying they did what they had to do to help. 

What led to the young boy being on the highway? 

The backstory:

Persaud said he was driving the utility truck when the workers spotted the young boy riding a scooter on the entrance ramp to Highway 417. 

"We were driving in the vehicle, and he happened to see what looked like a kid on a scooter," he said. "We pulled over, and he jumped out of the car to see what was going on."

The workers said the boy was only about 4 or 5 years old, and he was wearing pajamas and sneakers.

"I didn't know it was a kid, at first," Otero said. "I told Arune, ‘Hey, pull over real quick.' We saw the kid and went to the rescue, I guess."

Otero said he got out of the truck and tried to stop the boy from going any further up the road. 

"I just told him, ‘Hey buddy, slow down a little bit,’ and he looked at me and kept on going," Otero said. "That's when I said I had to start running to catch up to him, and that's what I did."

The pair said they called 911, and Orange County deputies arrived and took custody of the boy.

‘Just being a good Samaritan’

What they're saying:

Utility managers have praised Persaud and Otero’s quick response to the dangerous situation. 

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has called the pair heroes.

"I think anybody should do that in any situation, just being a good Samaritan," Persaud said. 

"I guess we just did what we had to do," Otero said. "We're not expecting to be called heroes or anything like that. We just wanted to help him, I guess."

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and Orange County utility workers.

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