NBC 7’s Omari Fleming spoke to the man and his family about how a stranger’s kindness saved his life.
A Poway family is looking for the good Samaritan they say literally saved their father's life after suffering a heart attack on a bike ride.
When Bill Warner isn’t tinkering with cars, like the one he repaired and gave to his teenage granddaughter as her first car, he’s likely on his bike. His daughter, Anna Short, said he takes one route for 20 miles on the weekend.
For now though, the Poway granddad is pumping the brakes after his Saturday morning ride.
“I got to the top, was weak and was thinking I was going to blackout,” Warner said on a Zoom interview from his hospital bed at Scripps La Jolla.
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The 70-year-old avid cyclist did end up blacking out after suffering a heart attack at around 9 a.m. on Arbolitos Drive. The next day, he had an emergency quadruple bypass surgery.
"My heart was so bad, unbeknownst to us. Because I had been riding, it looked like I was healthy," explained Warner.
Warner, who's normally the picture of health, says the only reason he's here to tell his story is because of the kindness of a stranger who pulled over to help before emergency crews arrived.
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“I could have quite easily probably passed away right then and there if he hadn't administered the CPR,' Warner said.
Warner and his family turned to social media, hoping to find the Good Samaritan, but the details of that day are foggy.
“It’s a mystery. So far my dad said he woke up and remembers people around him, but he does remember the guy had a blue Camaro. He's a car guy so it makes sense," said daughter Anna Short.
Even if the family doesn’t find the good Samaritan, they want to make sure their gratitude is felt.
“Thank you for taking initiative and taking the risk and making a big difference in my life,” Warner said to his unknown savior.
His daughter Kate Beishir said, “ Thank you for stopping. You stopped in that moment and really truly saved someone else’s life. That's pretty cool. Thank you so much for that moment and saving our dad."
