Swift action and selflessness helped a local man go from a groundskeeper to a hero.

Michael Chudyk is being honored for his efforts on April 6. Advantage Federal Credit Union presented him with its first-ever Good Citizen Award this week.

While on duty at the University of Rochester, Chudyk noticed a man struggling to stay afloat in the Genesee River. Without regard for his own personal safety, Chudyk jumped into the rapidly moving river and was able to pull the man to safety.

"I had to jump in to get him," said Chudyk. "There was nothing for him to grab onto. At the time, he was in distress and drowning at the moment. God just put me in the right place at the right time."

Chudyk and his family are members of the credit union's University of Rochester Med Center branch.