Inmates Escape from Jail Cells to Help Sick Guard

(CBSNews) WEATHERFORD, Texas - Authorities say several inmates at a Texas jail broke out of a holding cell to help save an armed guard after they saw him lose consciousness.

WFAA-TV reports the jailer continues to recover from an apparent heart attack. The June 23 incident was captured on surveillance video at the district courts building in Weatherford.

At least eight inmates were in a basement holding cell when the lone guard slumped and fell. Inmates yelled for help, broke out of the cell and banged on doors.

Sheriff's deputies rushed to the basement, corralled the inmates back into the cell and summoned paramedics, who revived the guard.

Parker County sheriff's Capt. Mark Arnett cited the inmates' quick response, saying 15 minutes could have passed before a staff member found the guard.

The Parker County Jail is not without its issues. Earlier this year, the family of a man who died there sued them, alleging the jail staff showed "deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs," reports CBS Dallas.

The inmate, who had been arrested for public intoxication, could be seen in a video pleading for help before collapsing in the booking area of the jail during the early morning hours on Feb. 7, 2015.