Ernest Smith of Covington is a very fortunate man today.

First, he apparently survived a heart attack.

Second, he was most fortunate that three local heroes decided they weren’t too busy to get involved.

Catherine Stephens, a nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital, city police officer Brian Capps and off-duty sheriff’s deputy Charlie Cook all converged in seconds around the wrecked vehicle that Smith had been driving.

They began giving him CPR immediately.

Smith, as of press time, was doing OK. The three heroes are back doing their jobs, and we are comforted by the realization that when things seem to be at their worst, we live in a community where there are plenty of good people who care enough to get involved.

Officers Cook and Capps and nurse Stephens, we salute you. You truly are hometown heroes.

If you missed this great story, you can read it at CovNews.com.