Maria Christine Ericson

Maria Christine Ericson saved Evan J. Moore from burning, Swiftwater, Pennsylvania, December 7, 2004. Evan, 1, was in his crib in a bedroom of his family’s single-story house after fire broke out in a nearby bedroom and filled the house with dense smoke. Alerted to the fire, neighbors, including Ericson, 42, human resources director, responded to the scene. Ericson climbed a ladder at the window to Evan’s room, then broke out the window and entered the house. Heat was intense in the bedroom, and dense smoke kept her from seeing. Walking with outstretched hands, Ericson located the crib, then found Evan. She picked him up, took him to the window, and handed him outside to safety, then she climbed through the window to safety. Flames spread inside the house and claimed the lives of his two sisters, but Evan was not injured.