George W. Weeder attempted to rescue Henry Behrendt from burning, Vassar, Michigan, February 24, 1934. At night while Behrendt, 40 carpenter, and Weeder, 47, steamhammer operator, were riding in a sedan automobile with two other men, one of whom was the owner and driver, the automobile skidded against a pole. An oil stove that was burning in the rear compartment overturned, and flames rose inside to the top of the automobile. Weeder and the man who sat with him crawled out through a broken window of a rear door. After beating out small flames on his clothing, Weeder opened the left front door and pulled the driver out of the automobile and with his gloved hands smothered the fire on the driver’s clothing. Weeder then got inside the same front door and tried to pull Behrendt toward him but was unable to move him. The door next to Behrendt was damaged and could not be opened, being against the pole. Weeder and the other man forced open the rear left door. Weeder then entered the rear compartment and stood in flames close to the stove, and, while he was being burned on the head and face, he tried with both hands to lift Behrendt. One of the men reached in to the rear seat and dumped a can containing water on the floor, and the water reduced the flames considerably. Weeder and the other man then tried to lift Behrendt but were unable to move him. Firemen arrived and pulled the seat from under Behrendt and then removed Behrendt. As the result of burns Behrendt died four days later. Weeder was seriously burned and permanently injured. The driver and the other man, who was slightly burned, recovered. 33789-2796
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