Alec Higley found himself stuck on an icy Portland, Oregon, highway off-ramp during an epic snowstorm. After being stranded there for several hours, he called his friend, Jon Gilbert, to come and help him out. Owner of a local auto shop, Gilbert loaded up his truck with tow straps, shackles, and some food and went to help his friend out of the jam.
Gilbert was able to help Higley get his vehicle free, but he didn’t stop there. The good Samaritan spent hours seeing that 20 other cars stuck on the off-ramp were also towed to safety. "It's just kind of who I am," says Gilbert. "Every time there's a big snowstorm and ice storm, I'll just throw the service light on and some tow straps and shackles and just try to help everybody I can."
Working until 6am, Gilbert towed cars, minivans, and a pickup truck off the icy roadway. The only person on the off-ramp he couldn’t help was a semi-truck driver with a six-ton load. "We put in a valiant effort on it," Gilbert explains. "What a guy," says Mary, one of the strangers Gilbert helped. "That's what we're here to do, right? Help each other out. Sometimes in society it feels like we've forgotten that. Jon helps you remember."