RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. When a Texas jailer in Parker County slumped unconscious, inmates thought it was a joke. They quickly realized the guard was having a heart attack. The inmates yelled and banged, but no one came. Their only option - a jail break. Gathering around the guard was risky since the other guards would come armed, but inmate Nick Kelton told WFAA TV it never crossed his mind not to help him. The sheriff's captain said the inmates likely saved the jailer's life. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.