James S. Waterhouse, III

James S. Waterhouse III attempted to rescue Nora A. Curran from burning, Norwood, Massachusetts, December 22, 1989. Miss Curran, 73, was in a bed in the living room of the house she shared with her sister when fire broke out in the adjoining kitchen. A neighbor, Waterhouse, 36, warehouse supervisor, was alerted to the fire and immediately responded to the scene with a fire extinguisher. He forced his way into the house and fought the flames in the kitchen, then, in deteriorating conditions, removed Miss Curran’s sister to the front door. Turning from the door to remove Miss Curran, Waterhouse again penetrated the burning house. He was disoriented by the dense smoke and collapsed. Firefighters arrived soon and, after being repulsed on a first attempt by extreme heat and smoke, entered the house and located and removed Miss Curran, then Waterhouse. Miss Curran was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and burns, and she died six weeks later. Waterhouse required extensive hospitalization for severe, and disabling, smoke-inhalation injury and second- and third-degree burns.