Charles D. Bell rescued Jimmy S. Derixson from burning, Greenup, Illinois, January 3, 2004. Derixson, 26, was trapped in the cab of a pickup truck after it left the road, struck a tree, overturned, and caught fire at its front end. Bell, 46, farmer, and his son, who were working nearby, responded to the scene, where they aided the truck’s other occupants and attempted to douse the flames. Derixson screamed for help as flames grew and spread into the cab. With no other means of accessing the cab available, Bell crawled beneath the bed of the truck and moved to the cab’s rear window, which had broken out. He reached through the window, grasped Derixson, and, after repeated tries, pulled him free, then dragged him through the window and out from under the bed. With help from his son, Bell took Derixson to safety. Derixson required hospital treatment for third-degree burns and other injuries. He recovered.
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