George P. Boyd

George P. Boyd, 34, painter, attempted to save Claude W. Gillette, 21, automobile mechanic, from suffocation, Mercer, Pennsylvania, March 2, 1922. Gillette was overcome by smoke on the first floor of a department store when he entered, wearing a gas mask, in an attempt to put out a fire which had started in the basement. Dense smoke filled the entire first floor, and the floor had become intensely hot. After firemen had made ineffectual attempts to enter the building, Boyd, aware of conditions and urged by others not to make the attempt, entered, wearing a gas mask, which was of little protection in smoke. With a rope around his waist and one end of the rope held by men outside, Boyd crawled 16 feet from a doorway to a stairway and descended several steps, feeling around for Gillette, whose location was not known. Boyd inhaled smoke and in his confusion got the rope entangled around a post. The nose clip of his gas mask came off, and he inhaled smoke while he was freeing the rope. In response to his jerk on the rope men outside then drew him out. Although others tried to dissuade him, Boyd again entered and crawled about 21 feet, feeling for Gillette, but he was then unable to endure the heat and smoke, signalled, and was drawn out. After a brief rest Boyd entered through a window and crawled 18 feet over a mass of merchandise and found Gillette. He carried Gillette 10 feet toward the window but then tripped and fell. The nose clip came off again, and he inhaled much smoke. He shouted to the men to pull quickly, and the men outside pulled him and Gillette to the window and lifted them out. Gillette could not be revived. Boyd was gasping for breath and was slightly affected for several weeks from having inhaled smoke and from the heat.