In the middle of a high school cross country meet in Memphis, Tenn., one boy collapsed. A Jewish student from a rival school was the only runner to stop his race to help.

Seth Goldstein, 17, of the Orthodox Cooper Yeshiva High, seems to think his actions were only to be expected. “I’m a lifeguard,” he told Knox News. “It was obvious he needed help.”

Though he wasn’t entirely sure what to do for the boy, whose lips were blue and eyes were rolling back in his head, Goldstein took charge. He told his parents to call 911 while telling another parent to bring ice. Once blood started bubbling from the runner’s mouth, Goldstein took charge as others assumed he was an EMT.

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Soon, actual EMTs arrived to take over. “Can I finish the race?” Goldstein asked, only to be met with quizzical looks from the assembled crowd.

“The EMTs looked at me kind of funny,” Goldstein said. “They’re like, ‘You’re racing? Well, sure, go ahead. I guess you can finish the race.’ “

Though Goldstein finished with his slowest time, he was treated like a hero. His teammates joined him for the final bit of the race.

“It’s an example of exactly the values we’re trying to instill in our kids,” said Gil Perl, the dean of the Cooper Yeshiva School. “We have the concept, from the Talmud, that if you want God to have mercy on you, you have to have mercy on others.”

The injured runner was treated for a heat-induced seizure and is reported to be doing well.

This article was based on an article originally posted on Knoxnews.com.

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