BERWYN – Julian Garcia and Nathan Rodriguez are third-graders at Pershing School and have been buddies since kindergarten.

So, it is no surprise that the two would join forces when they met on the street while making the rounds together on one of the most important nights in a young child’s year: Halloween.

On the prowl for Halloween treats, the two friends ended up quite possibly giving the gift of life to a neighborhood woman who said she had fallen down her basement stairs three days before and hadn’t moved since.

Julian and Nathan were making their rounds near their home when they followed the porch lights to the back door of a house in the 3700 block of Harvey Avenue. The screen door was shut, but the back door was open. They knocked, but the only response was from a couple of barking dogs, they said.

They peered inside the open door and it was then they saw the woman laying on her basement floor, at the bottom of the stairs.

“I was scared, surprised, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Julian said and Nathan agreed.

The third-graders rushed away and told their parents what they saw.

The boys returned with Julian’s mother and Nathan’s father who entered to the woman’s home and called police and emergency medical services.

Berwyn Fire Chief Denis O’Halloran said the woman was in her late 60s.

Berwyn paramedics initially provided advanced life support measures when they arrived, then they transported the woman, who was conscious at the time, to the hospital, O’Halloran said.

O’Halloran praised the two boys for thinking on their feet and setting the wheels in motion that very likely saved the woman.

“The actions of the children involved are commendable,” the chief said. “By getting their parents involved and their parents notifying the police and emergency services, it definitely helped this individual out of a serious situation.”

O’Halloran added he plans to recognize the boys for their actions once he concludes an investigation of the incident.

Pershing School Principal Marilyn McManus also praised Julian and Nathan for their actions.

“We are super proud of them,” McManus said. “That was the first thing we said: “What a way to be respectful. Nathan’s mother said to me it was a life-changing experience. I told Julian he had better write all this down.”