Orange County firefighters finish lawn work for elderly man who collapsed while mowing

WESTMINSTER, Calif. - Orange County firefighters went above and beyond the call of duty to help an elderly man who collapsed while mowing his lawn.

According to neighbor Steel Morris, 92-year-old Robert had collapsed while mowing his lawn in Westminster in early August. Another neighbor discovered Robert, who was unable to get up after his fall and called paramedics. Robert was transported to the hospital after his collapse.

Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

When Morris heard of what happened, he went outside and saw a crew from the Orange County Fire Authority’s Station 65 tending to Robert's lawn.

The firefighters told Morris that Robert "shouldn’t have to worry about" his lawn when he came home from the hospital, according to his post on Instagram.

SUGGESTED:

• Teen mows veterans’ lawns to honor late grandfather: ‘He taught me’
• Highway Patrol officers treat stranded woman to lunch
• Boy adopted by HCSO detective after surviving being stabbed, set on fire by father
• Officers surprise kids with new basketball hoop after seeing them play with milk crate
• VIDEO: Glendale police officer rescues baby deer stuck in wrought iron fence

"Thank you for recognizing the extra steps we take in caring for our community," Orange County Firefighters wrote in an Instagram post.

According to Morris, Robert is doing fine after his collapse.

His son, who lives in Spain, sent the following letter to the fire department:

"To the brave and dedicated women and men of Orange County Fire Authority / Station 65,

I want to offer my heartfelt thanks for not only taking care of my dad, but for also going above and beyond with the kind gesture of finishing up the yard work at his home. My family and I are truly grateful for your professionalism and dedication to protecting the community that you serve. We were all deeply touched. And yes, not only does my dad still cut his grass at age 93, but he walks a half mile every day around the neighborhood to stay young and healthy. My dad, Robert, is the original owner of his home and has lived there since 1957. He plays cribbage with a neighbor daily and does the NYT crossword puzzle every morning… in pen no less.

My two sisters live local and look after him; however, he can be quite stubborn and up until last week, insisted on cutting his own grass. Once he has fully recovered, I imagine that he’ll wish to return to performing his yardwork once again.

The last time he was unable to cut his own grass was 13 years ago at the age of 80 when he battled colon cancer. Interestingly enough, I had the dubious chore of cutting the grass while he was recovering. He stated that he couldn’t wait to feel better and cut his own grass, as I was clearly butchering his yard. I’m happy and albeit a bit jealous to say that he was satisfied with the job you guys did on his lawn. Again, thank you very much. As someone who has worked in the Federal Fire Service for 35 years, you are a class act!"

Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.