E. Wilbur Dixon rescued Sara L. Click from burning, Horatio, South Carolina, January 20, 1963. At night fire broke out in the living room of a one-story frame dwelling in which Mrs. Click, 37, and another woman were asleep. The woman discovered the fire, roused Mrs. Click with much difficulty, and suggested they leave by way of a window, which she had opened in another bedroom. Mrs. Click ran into the living room to seek her dog. Hearing a thud, the woman called out to Mrs. Click but got no reply. She then climbed through the window and ran to the front entrance, which had a screen door and a wooden door. Unable to open them, the woman ran 1,000 feet to the home of Dixon, 25, cafeteria counter attendant, awakened him and his mother, and told them of the situation. Dixon dressed quickly and ran to the porch of the Click dwelling. Smoke was issuing from under the eaves as Dixon ripped out a large section of screen from the first door and kicked out a wooden panel of the inner door. Holding his breath, he then crawled 10 feet into the living room. Heat was very intense, and dense smoke containing flames extended to within five feet of Dixon, who found Mrs. Click lying on the floor. Dixon then was forced to breathe and took in smoke, which caused him to cough violently. Lifting Mrs. Click in his arms, Dixon carried her to the door, which he unlocked. He released the night latch and pushed open the door. Still coughing, he stepped through the opening in the screen and onto the porch with Mrs. Click. Firemen arrived and extinguished the flames, which then filled the living room. Mrs. Click was hospitalized for extensive burns but succumbed a month later. Dixon’s throat was raw from the smoke and heat. He recovered.
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