David Shaw helped to save Raymond C. Haag, Jr., from burning, Cambridge, Ontario, August 27, 2000. At night, Raymond, 5, remained in his bedroom, on the upper floor of his family’s house, after fire erupted on the first floor, in the enclosed back porch. Flames spread into the kitchen. Police officers, including Shaw, 45, responded to the scene. After learning that Raymond was still inside the house, Shaw and another officer entered the living room and ascended the stairs partway as smoke grew denser. Telling the other officer to remain on the stairway, Shaw crawled the remaining distance to the upper floor, where a floor-level break in the smoke permitted him to see Raymond, about 10 feet away, in the bedroom. Shaw crawled into that room, pulled Raymond off the bed, then stood and walked toward where he thought the stairway to be. Unable to see in the smoke, Shaw walked into a wall at least twice before locating the stairway. Carrying Raymond, he descended the stairway to the other officer, who then grasped him by the belt and pulled him down the stairs. They left the house safely with Raymond. Shaw and Raymond were treated at the hospital for smoke inhalation, and they recovered.
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