Former Arkansas and NFL running back Peyton Hillis has been discharged from the hospital two weeks after he reportedly rescued family members during a swimming accident, according to a social media post by his girlfriend.
Hillis’ girlfriend, Angela Cole, posted a photo Friday on Instagram of Hillis with the medical team that cared for him at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Florida.
“The amount of love and gratitude I have for the incredible team that took care of Peyton is indescribable,” she wrote. “You all worked like a perfected machine with each and every one of you so kind, attentive, calming and caring.”
Hillis had been hospitalized since he reportedly aided in a water rescue Jan. 4 off the coast of Pensacola that involved at least one family member.
According to Escambia County emergency services, four people — two adults and two children — were struggling in the water when a bystander helped them get out.
Paramedics arrived on the scene, and two adults went to the hospital, including one who was taken by helicopter. Officials would not identify who was involved.
According to Cole, Hillis was on a ventilator in intensive care before being taken off it last week.
Hillis played for four NFL teams, most notably the Cleveland Browns, with whom he ran for 1,177 yards in the 2010 season and 587 in 2011.
He finished his career in 2014 with the New York Giants and also played for the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs.