By Steve Neavling
A confused family found themselves in the wrong Portland after a travel agent booked them a flight to the wrong city.
Instead of flying to Portland, Maine, the family of three landed 3,000 miles away in Portland, Oregon.
That’s when TSA Officer Martin Rio came to the rescue. Asked to interpret for the Spanish-speaking travelers at a checkpoint, Rios figured out what had happened.
“Martin is always quick to help out his team members,” Supervisory TSA officer Kaitlyn Arnold said in a news release. “He has a very positive attitude and is always smiling. I know I can always count on Martin to be dedicated to the mission.”
The confused and disheartened family spent the night in a terminal. Rios walked the family to the ticket counter and helped them buy the correct tickets.
But the family was low on finances, so Rios dug into his pocket and covered the travel expenses.
“[Rios] is a go getter and the fact that he chose to support these passengers in their time of need was no surprise to both his team and our leadership,” Senior TSA Manager Jeremy Alanis said. “Martin is, and has been since day one, a shining example of what it means to be a team player. [He’s] the kind of officer and person any airport in the country would be proud to have as a member of their team.”
Rios was awarded the PDX’s Make the Connection Quarterly Award for his actions.
