George L. Presley, 26, assistant fire control officer, saved Robert V. Fisher and Peter T. Arrossa, 19 and 18, respectively, firefighters, from burning, Bellevue, Idaho, August 3, 1963. When a helicopter containing Fisher, Arrossa, and the pilot was taking off, one of its skids hooked a telephone line and caused the craft to crash in a field. Fisher and Arrossa were badly stunned, and the pilot was injured but crawled out through the door on the upper side of the helicopter as it lay in a tilted position. Fearing an explosion of the fuel tanks, Presley ran to the aircraft and aided Fisher through the door. After taking Fisher a safe distance away, Presley ran back to the aircraft, where he could see Arrossa entangled in the seat belt at the other door of the bubble-type cabin. Presley crawled under the tilted cabin to the door and then rose to a nearly upright position with his upper body inside the bubble. While freeing Arrossa from the seat belt, he smelled smoke and heard a hissing sound caused by gasoline falling on hot metal. Presley grasped Arrossa and pulled him from the seat to the ground. He then moved backward, pulling Arrossa with him. They were 10 feet from the helicopter when three-foot flames spread rapidly over a wide area above the fuel tanks. Presley dragged Arrossa farther from the aircraft, which became completely engulfed by the flames.
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