Garratt Briggs was just following the golden rule. The Oklahoma resident saw a stranded motorist and decided to offer his fellow citizen a helping hand.

That helping hand almost cost Briggs his life, according to the Payne County Oklahoma Sheriff’s Office.

Briggs, a Chesapeake Energy employee, was flagged down at about 12:30 p.m. Monday near an interstate exchange in Oklahoma. He thought the motorist was stranded, but it turned into a robbery that left him beaten, bound and alone in the middle of the woods.

According to police reports, Briggs noticed a vehicle near an intersection while performing routine pump checks for work. After finishing his checks, Briggs drove by the vehicle and was flagged down by a Hispanic male. The vehicle’s hood was open.

Briggs got out of his truck and approached the man. As Briggs walked closer, a white male stood up and approached Briggs. The man had a gun in his hand.

“He popped up in front of him,” Garratt’s wife, Jennifer Briggs, told the Stillwater Press. “The guy with the gun then walked him down a path off the road into the woods.”

The man demanded Briggs’ wallet. Briggs refused and an argument occurred.

The Hispanic man pulled out a knife and wrench and approached Briggs. A fight broke out and Briggs ended up on the ground with his hands and legs bound with electrical tape. The same tape was used to cover his eyes.

According to the police report, the men beat Briggs with their hands and the wrench. They took his wallet, wedding ring and his watch. The pair tossed Briggs’ phone into the brush before ransacking his company vehicle and fleeing.

Briggs managed to get the tape off his feet and returned to the truck. He activated the Bluetooth, which connected his phone to the truck and he called 911.

Payne County deputies responded to the call. They found Briggs’ wallet, but the cash and credit cards were missing.

Briggs told deputies the incident lasted about 10 minutes.

After learning about the attack and determining her husband was OK, Jennifer Briggs was more concerned about the duo’s next victim.

“Of course, I’m grateful he’s OK but he’s my hero anyway,” Jennifer Briggs said. “He’s my strong guy. We just want our community to know these guys are out there.”

Briggs sustained bumps and bruises but has returned back to work.

The fact Briggs survived the attack is in stark contrast to a similar incident that took place in Ada, Oklahoma last year when a college student was killed after giving a fellow student a ride. 

The suspects in Briggs’ case are described as a white male in his early 30s with brown hair and blue eyes. He is approximately 5-foot-9 inches tall with a scorpion tattoo on his right forearm. The other suspect is a Hispanic male in his early 30. He is 5-foot-6 inches tall with brown hair and eyes.

The car has been described as a purple or maroon 1990s-model Grand Am or Grand Prix with Texas tags.

“Right now we are checking pawn shops and have the I.D. out on the vehicle, so we are checking what we can. The investigation is still under way,” said Payne County Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Kevin Woodward said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Payne County Sheriff’s Office at 405-372-4522.

Cole writes for The Stillwater (Okla.) Press