Former Arkansas and NFL running back Peyton Hillis was taken off a ventilator a week after he apparently saved family members in a swimming accident, according to a report on the social networks by his girlfriend.
Hillis’ girlfriend, Angela Cole, posted on Instagram Thursday that Hillis was “on the road to recovery,” but added that “he still has a long way to go.”
Hillis has been hospitalized since allegedly assisting in a water rescue Jan. 4 involving at least one family member off Pensacola, Florida.
According to Escambia County Emergency Services, four people – two adults and two children – were struggling in the water when a passerby helped them out of the water. Paramedics arrived at the scene and two adults were taken to the hospital, including one who was airlifted by helicopter. Officials did not identify who was involved.
Greg Hillis, who identified himself as Hillis’ uncle in a Facebook post last week, said at the time that Hillis was “having issues with his kidneys and lungs.”
Hillis played for four NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, with whom he rushed 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.