John H. Flanigan saved Lindsey C. Stocke from burning, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 15, 2005. Lindsey, 6, was sleeping in a basement bedroom of her family’s 1.5-story house after fire broke out in the basement and filled it with dense smoke. Working nearby, Flanigan, 57, bricklayer, was alerted to the fire, and he responded to the scene. He entered the house through its rear door but found that the stairs leading to the basement were not passable due to fire conditions. Flanigan then went to the side of the house, where he kicked in an air conditioner that was in a basement window. He entered the basement through the window, then, despite the dense smoke that precluded visibility, walked about searching for Lindsey. After returning to the window for air, he crawled about the room but again had to retreat for air. After additional attempts, Flanigan found Lindsey, who lay on the bedroom floor, unconscious. He picked her up and carried her to the window, where he handed her outside to others. Flanigan then climbed through the window to safety. Lindsey required hospitalization for treatment of smoke inhalation, and she recovered.
78671 – 9013
78671-9013