Joseph Kruszelnicki rescued John Holenski from burning, Vanguard, Saskatchewan, May 5, 1972. His wife found Holenski, 69, farmer, in diabetic shock on the driver’s seat of a tractor stalled atop a pile of planks which had been ignited by the vehicle’s spinning wheels. Driven back by the flames and intense heat, the wife sought help from Kruszelnicki, 52, farmer. Kruszelnicki climbed into the tractor’s cab; and flames ignited his clothing as he moved Holenski to a prone position on the deck. Jumping to the ground, Kruszelnicki stood in flames and pulled Holenski from the cab. Soon afterward the fuel tank exploded, engulfing the tractor in flames. Holenski and Kruszelnicki were hospitalized for burns they had suffered. Kruszelnicki recovered, but Holenski died.
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