A unique act of kindness by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer helped a family get on the right plane for Maine after a travel agent erroneously booked them on the wrong flight.

The TSA officer saved the day for the family of three after a travel agent booked them on a flight 3,000 miles in the wrong direction.

The Spanish-speaking family arrived in Portland, Oregon, and not Portland, Maine, according to the TSA. They were confused and disheartened and had to spend the entire night in the Portland International Airport until TSA officer Martin Rios stepped in.

What Rios did is a true testimony to his big heart because he used some of his own money to put the family on the right plane. He did it after he saw that the family was struggling financially. Senior TSA manager Jeremy Alanis said Rios’ act of kindness was no surprise at all.

“Martin is, and has been since day one, a shining example of what it means to be a team player,” Alanis said. “[He’s] the kind of officer and person any airport in the country would be proud to have as a member of their team.”

Rios was honored with the Make the Connection Quarterly Award in recognition of his service last week in recognition of the incident that happened in November 2020.