OCALA, Florida. – Two Publix employees in Florida were honored for their quick actions that saved a colleague’s life.

The incident occurred on July 10 at the Publix at Park View Commons in Ocala, where 20-year-old Cole Renfro suffered cardiac arrest while working in the freezer.

What started as a normal day for Renfro quickly developed into a life-threatening situation.

“When he got to the store, he texted me back, ‘Love you too.’ That was the last text I got,” recalled his mother, Carrie Renfro.

Shortly thereafter, she sensed that something was wrong. Renfro was found unconscious on the floor of the freezer. His managers recognized the urgency and immediately took action.

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“This is 100 percent because the managers stepped in and did the right thing in such a short time by immediately performing CPR and using the defibrillator,” said a colleague.

Managers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and delivered a shock using a defibrillator, which was instrumental in saving Renfro’s life.

“We simply continued with CPR and then gave him a shock with the defibrillator,” said one of the managers. Shortly afterwards, paramedics arrived and took over the life-saving measures.

“I don’t consider myself an emotional person, but hearing his mother talk about how close he came to not making it definitely brings tears to your eyes,” said another manager.

A month later, Renfro has fully recovered and is back on his feet. During a surprise ceremony, his managers were awarded a Publix “Gold Medal” for their heroic actions.

“I know Drew and I are being recognized today, but there were other people there who called 911 and gave us instructions. It was a team effort that made this possible,” one of the managers modestly noted.