Miami-Dade Solid Waste Management worker honored for helping to save a man’s life

MIAMI – A driver for Miami-Dade Solid Waste Management is being hailed a hero after his eye spotted a man who was having a heart attack.

Myron Cody has been doing this job for 12 years. Though the routes may not change much, he said he’s always kept an eye out and on this day it made a difference in a man’s life.

Cody was on his regular trash pickup route when he noticed a man who had fallen.

“I noticed somebody on the porch, about halfway in and halfway out, and I rolled by and it didn’t look normal so then I took my horn, but he didn’t move,” he said.

It became clear to Cody the man was having some kind of medical emergency.

“Then I popped my break and got out and go check and I saw the neighbor and I flagged down the neighbor and he called the police and got help for him,” he said.

For his attention to detail and willingness to help, Cody was recognized with a special commendation from the county’s commission for going beyond his job duty.

“So he was not just focusing on the immediate job, but his environment, he saw something and he did something and he said something and he’s deserving of a great commendation,” said Mayor Daniella Levine Cava during the presentation ceremony.    

Cody said he’s proud of his decades worth of work for the county but this is a special honor that he can share with his family.

“I just hope somebody would do the same for one of my family members if it happened to them,” he said.

While the man he saved passed away at a later time this year his family told Cody they were very thankful that he was there for him.