Bobby D. Ratliff

Bobby D. Ratliff rescued Santiago Quiroz III and helped to rescue Paxton G. Cottrell and Gay L. Quiroz from burning, Llano, Texas, June 12, 1987. Santiago, 4; his mother, Mrs. Quiroz, 31, and his brother, Paxton, 12, were trapped in their family’s burning station wagon after a fatal highway accident. Having arrived at the scene in another vehicle, Ratliff, 44, monument maker, ran to the car, the interior of which was almost filled with flames, and reached through the front, passenger door. He pulled Santiago from the front seat and took him to safety. Returning to the car, Ratliff and another man pulled Paxton, who was partially aflame, through a rear window and took him away. Ratliff returned to the car again and, with the other man, removed Mrs. Quiroz from the front seat moments before flames engulfed the car. Santiago recovered from cuts and minor burns. Mrs. Quiroz and Paxton sustained extensive burns for which they were hospitalized.