For those who believe online relationships are not the real deal and are not of the same nature as those developed in person, after learning how one teen rescued a friend he met playing video games, you might think again.

“I took it serious. I stayed on the line and I just kept reassuring him you’ve got a lot to live for,” Reilly Howard told NBC Connecticut.

Reilly talked to the child in question for hours.

Over the past few months, 14-year-old Reilly became friends with another teenager by playing video games online. Although Reilly is from East Hampton, Connecticut and the other boy is from Florida, they were able to forge a great friendship.

So close that one day the teen admitted to Reilly that he was considering doing something unthinkable – killing himself.

“I said ‘you promise you’re not going to do anything because we’re going to play tomorrow?’”

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Reilly spoke to the boy for many hours before he was able to convince him to reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where the teen eventually was able to receive help.

The principal at Reilly’s high school gave praise to the 14-year-old for taking action.

“I think everybody thinks they’re going to do the right thing. But in a difficult situation he really did the right thing,” Principal Eric Verner said.

“One person can make a difference.”

Now, Reilly and the other boy talk to each other many times per week, even on nights when they don’t play games together.

“Be there. It’s always good to talk to someone. I was there,” Reilly said.