When a kidnapper attempted to steal two small children in broad daylight, a typical day turned into every parent’s worst nightmare.

It all started when a lady and her three children were waiting outside Chuck’s Gas Station in Las Cruces, New Mexico, for an Uber. As they waited, the mother saw a strange man peering at them. The would-be kidnapper then snatched one of her children.

After a brief altercation, the family dashed back inside the gas station, with the guy hot on their tail. That’s when a student-athlete came to the rescue.

Canaan Bower, a 16-year-old wrestler, noticed the commotion and jumped in to aid. Canaan used his wrestling skills to put the guy on the ground until the cops arrived. While it seemed like an eternity to Canaan, the entire affair was over in less than 5 minutes.

Canaan said that he was apprehensive that the abductor may be equipped with a knife or a weapon, but that his urge to defend others exceeded his need to protect himself.

Later, he was hailed as a hero by UFC president Dana White and mixed martial arts champions Henry Cejudo and Jorge Masvidal, and he was named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week.