PLAINS TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- It was an evening of honoring heroes in Luzerne County Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The Red Cross held its annual “Heroes Celebration” award ceremony to recognize those who went above and beyond last year, to provide aid or rescue to someone in need.
Army Sergeant First Class Estevan Azocar of West Pittston received the Good Samaritan Hero award for rescuing a couple from a disabled car on Interstate 80 last May; that car had started to catch fire after striking a deer.
Azocar pulled out them just moments before a tractor-trailer slammed into the stalled vehicle.
“For me to be recognized like this, it really shows my kids that, hey look, you're doing something out of the goodness of your heart,” said SFC Azocar.
Also getting the Good Samaritan Hero award was Jeff Labrosky of Scranton.
Surveillance video taken outside Labrosky's auto shop in January of 2017 shows him stopping a moving vehicle that wouldn't stay in park after a collision.
A pregnant woman was behind the wheel.
When asked if he would do it again, Labrosky immediately responded:
“Yeah, absolutely. I would do it.”
Five firefighters from the Shavertown Volunteer Fire Department got the Firefighter Hero award for rescuing a woman from her burning home in Dallas on the 4th of July by running in to get her.
“Bottom line, I'm glad we were able to save the lady,” said firefighter Erik Sowga. “It's an everyday job for us, we volunteer so.”
And two nursing students from Wilkes University did CPR on a bicyclist who was hit by a car on River Street in Wilkes-Barre in May.
The victim passed away but the two are getting the Medical Hero award for their efforts.
“I just want to get recognition to [other people there], because there were other bystanders who called 911 and who stopped traffic and helped us too so,” said Peter Sidari.
“To us, we just did what we would do for anyone,” said Amber Ankudovich.
All the recipients say they aren't heroes. Just everyday people who happened to be in the right place at the right time when someone need help.