GWINNETT COUNTY, Fla. (NewsNation) — A Georgia deputy’s life was saved by jail inmates when he had a stroke while on duty.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Patrick Edmond was conducting cell searches in the jail housing unit when inmates noticed something was wrong. The sheriff’s office said Edmond didn’t know he was having a stroke.

The inmates helped Edmond to a chair and used his police radio to call for help. The deputy was flown to a nearby hospital.

“It would be very easy to assume there’s always an adversarial relationship between law enforcement officers and citizens suspected of committing crimes,” the sheriff’s office said. “Sometimes there is, but many times there is not.”

Edmond has already made a full recovery and is expected to return to duty soon.

This is the second incident in recent months in which a deputy suffering a medical episode was rescued by inmates of the same jail.

“These recent incidents reflect the respect most inmates have for our deputies because of how they’re treated in our jail,” the sheriff’s office said. “They know we work hard to keep them safe and sometimes they get to return the favor. We appreciate them and thank them for their efforts.”

NewsNation affiliate WFLA contributed to this report.