Harold B. Acornley rescued Roy P. Seabrooke from burning, Toronto, Ontario, October 18, 1964. Seabrooke, 53, lineman, climbed a ladder to a crossarm of an electric system pole 25 feet above the ground and, standing beneath high tension lines, cut the secondary line leading to a transformer which was smoking. Soon afterward the transformer exploded, the erupting oil caught fire, and Seabrooke was trapped by the flames when the hook of his safety belt, which he had unfastened, became caught on the crossarm. He called for help. Acornley, 47, lineman, climbed the ladder to within two feet of the flames, which rose 15 feet up the pole and extended eight feet along the crossarm to another transformer. Heat was intense. Acornley reached into the flames and tried to cut the safety belt of Seabrooke, who was leaning away from the pole to get most of his body out of the flames. Unable to cut the belt, Acornley extended his arm near the other secondary line, took hold of Seabrooke, and pulled him toward the ladder. Seabrooke struggled and kicked Acornley, who grasped him around the waist. Acornley located the other end of Seabrooke’s safety belt and released it. He then maneuvered Seabrooke onto the ladder and held him as they descended to the ground. Both Seabrooke and Acornley suffered burns and were hospitalized for extensive periods. They recovered, but Acornley’s vision was impaired.
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