Company celebrates Cinco de Mayo and honors hero

It was a Cinco De Mayo celebration with a special meaning.

One El Paso company celebrated the day but they also honored an employee they say is a hero.

Cement company MTI Ready Mix has held a Cinco de Mayo party for their employees for 18 years now.

This was special, though — just recently, one of their cement truck drivers saved someone’s life.

From the street, MTI Ready Mix looks like any ordinary office building, but out on the patio, the sounds of mariachis filled the air.

A serious Huachas tournament kept competitors on their toes, but little did one employee know he would be honored.

Recently, Daniel Garcia, while driving a cement truck, came across a customer in need of medical attention.

“I saw this gentleman just panicked, just waiving his hands,” Garcia said.

Garcia said he immediately knew something was wrong.

“I dropped the cash. I dropped the bills and I just ran,” Garcia said.

Conaciano Galvez was choking and after Garcia administered the Heimlich, Galvez passed out and Garcia performed CPR.

“I just blew a couple times and little by little he came back,” Garcia said.

Garcia said he learned CPR after his own father had become ill.

“I told him, Jefe you’re going to be OK, just breathe through your nose,” Garcia said.

“He saved my life … he saved my life,” Galvez said.

Garcia told ABC-7 he felt it was the work of a higher power that put him in that situation.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know where you’re going to go next, but I was chosen to go there,” Garcia said.

Galvez said he has now found a forever friend.

“He’s going to be my angel forever. You never know who’s going to help you. There’s always going to be an angel behind you, always,” Galvez said.

Garcia said everyone should take a CPR course because one never knows when it can save someone’s life.