Leo P. Pelletier saved Rajinder K. Dewat from burning, North Vancouver, British Columbia, June 24, 1997. Dewat, 31, was the driver of a dump truck that, in a highway accident, left the roadway and overturned onto its driver’s side, spilling diesel fuel in the vicinity. Flames broke out in the area of the cab, threatening Dewat, who was trapped in the wreckage. Pelletier, 44, electrical engineer, who worked nearby, heard the accident and immediately ran to the scene. He approached the cab of the overturned truck, then saw that Dewat had put his head through a very small space between the partially opened driver’s door and the ground. Pelletier grasped Dewat, who was soaked in diesel fuel, and pulled on him repeatedly, laboriously maneuvering him from the wreckage as the cab continued to burn. Pelletier helped Dewat to stand, then walked him away from the scene. Dewat required hospital treatment for his injuries, from which he recovered.
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