A chef at a seafood restaurant in Florida has been hailed a hero after his decision to check on a missing regular customer ended up saving the elderly man’s life.

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For 10 years, 78-year-old Air Force veteran Charlie Hicks had been visiting Shrimp Basket in Pensacola, Florida, almost like clockwork.

Arriving at 11:00AM each morning, Hicks would settle into his usual seat and enjoy his favourite meal, typically accompanied by gumbo and a little rice.

But over the years, the restaurant became much more than somewhere to eat.

Hicks, who never married or had children, developed a close friendship with chef Donell Stallworth, with the pair regularly chatting about everything from sports to television.

“At my age, I don’t really mingle with any group or make friends that easy,” Hicks told TODAY.com.

“I know he’s a chef, but I’m usually sitting there by myself, so we just have a good chat just about every day.”

However, that familiar routine was interrupted in early September when Hicks began feeling unwell.

Unable to make his usual journey, he arranged for restaurant staff to deliver food to his home, with employee Denise Galloway dropping off his meals.

Then, on September 11, things took a frightening turn.

Hicks suffered a fall inside his home and found himself unable to get back up.

He remained stranded on the floor for hours, with nobody around to help.

“When people that are 78 fall, it’s a different ballgame than when you’re younger,” he explained.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do, because after three or four hours laying on the floor, you wonder, ‘Am I going to get out of this?’”

Meanwhile, Stallworth had arrived at work and quickly realised something wasn’t right.

Hicks was nowhere to be seen, and none of his colleagues had heard from him.

Unable to shake his concern, the chef abandoned his preparations and drove to Hicks’ home.

After knocking repeatedly, Stallworth eventually heard a faint cry for help.

Fortunately, the door was unlocked.

Inside, he discovered his friend lying helplessly on the floor.

“That was a hard thing to see him in that position,” Stallworth recalled.

Hicks, who has diabetes, had missed his medication and was severely dehydrated.

Galloway contacted emergency services, and Hicks was taken to hospital with two broken ribs.

He spent a week in hospital before undergoing another seven weeks of physical rehabilitation.

But the remarkable story didn’t end with his recovery.

Shrimp Basket general manager Casey Corbin helped Hicks secure an apartment next door to the restaurant, allowing him to live just steps away from his favourite dining spot.

Staff also presented him with a walker covered in their signatures.

And in another touching gesture, the restaurant announced that Hicks would receive free gumbo for life, twice daily.

The chain also launched a three-week initiative offering customers free gumbo on Mondays, giving away almost 1,000 cups during the first week.

For Hicks, however, the experience carries a message far more important than free meals.

“If anybody knows somebody that reaches my age and lives alone, for God’s sake, check on them every once in a while,” he urged.

As for Stallworth, the bond they have developed goes well beyond the usual relationship between a chef and his customer.

“He means a lot to me,” he said.

“You know, he’s Mr. Hicks, but he’s that uncle, that granddad, that best friend now. He’s all in one with me.”

Featured image credit: Donell Stallworth / TODAY.com