Troy Bower tried desperately to get ahold of his son Canaan after receiving a call from his wife.

She said: “Apparently, he’s a hero and a dumba**. He called me to say he wrestled a man who was trying to hurt some kids at a gas station in Dona Ana. We hung up and now I can’t get a hold of him.”

A father’s frantic search

Canaan is just 16 – a high school wrestler on Spring break. But what he did was well beyond his years and most people’s abilities.

He tackled a man at a local gas station.

That’s all his father knew as he drove around frantically trying to find him.

In an essay for Love What Matters, he recalled:

“I called the gas station as I drove through town looking for his truck. No sign of his truck. No answer on his phone. Is he at a hospital? Maybe he’s at the police station. Wherever he is, he needs an adult with him who is on his side and has his best interest in mind.”

He called the gas station where the event took place only to find out what his son had really done.

Getting the truth

When the clerk answered, Bower said he heard his son might have been part of a ruckus. The clerk knew exactly who he was talking about and explained what really happened.

“Oh my God sir, your son…he was…your son…was…was…awesome. There was an evil man here with an evil laugh trying to kidnap some kids. He didn’t care about anyone. He was hurting people. We were throwing bottles at him and nothing was working. He beat us up really bad. We knew the police were a long ways away and we knew this man was going to take the kids because we couldn’t stop him.”

Canaan was across the street at a different gas station when he heard the commotion. And he jumped right in to help.

The clerk described the moment to Bower:

“As soon as I realized the kids were in danger and the evil was going to win, the door opened up and your son walked in. He didn’t hesitate. He jumped in, overpowered this man, and held him down until the police got there.”

Reunited after the drama

When Canaan finally called his dad after talking to the police, he was surprised to hear that everyone already knew the story. And he blew off the heroics of his actions.

“Dad, I just did what I had to do. That lady and her kids needed me. I held the guy until the police showed up and then I went about my day,” he told his dad.

The moment he laid eyes on his son, he held him in a big bear hug. He was proud. And he hoped he’d do the same in such a situation.

But Bower pointed out that no one really knows what they’re capable of until they’re thrown into a situation.

“Others would rather be the hero that called 911 or filmed it on our phone for social media to see. We don’t know what we would do, none of us. But you, son, have it on your resume. You did it,” he said.

Truly saving the day

Later the Bower family found out just how important Canaan’s actions really were.

The offender he tackled was attempting to kidnap 3 children from a pregnant woman for a sex trafficking ring.

And it wasn’t until the end of his story that Bower revealed just how gruesome the situation was when Canaan ran into it.

“With no regard for his own safety as he approached the scene, saw a man covered in blood, entered the store, and ran across the blood-soaked floor to reach a man who was kicking down a door where the children were hiding. Not knowing if the man had a knife, a gun, or what level of danger he was facing. All he knew is that something needed to be done and he trusted himself, especially once he closed the distance and was chest to chest with this evil man.”

Be sure to scroll down below to see a news story on the heroics of the teen.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: YouTube – Trying out Life with Kara, Love What Matters, Facebook – Troy Bower