For Hamilton resident, Gary Szabo saving other peoples lives is some that just comes with instinct and without a 2nd thought.

The retired Trenton Fire Captain and certified diver jumped into action when he heard a radio call that a boat had been capsized by a whale.

Szabo was enjoying the day fishing when a mayday came over the radio and instinctively he sprung into action.

The former fire department diver found two men in the water, clinging to their 25-foot overturned vessel. Video of the rescue shows one man swim toward Szabo’s boat and be helped aboard from a dive ladder. A second fisherman, seen sitting on his capsized craft, was also pulled to safety by Szabo.

Rescue crews, including a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and State Police, also responded to the call. A Coast Guard spokeswoman confirmed the boat was hit by a whale, but the exact kind of aquatic mammal was unclear.

Szabo’s actions proved that everyday heroes are among all of us and that a firefighter is never truly retired.