Matilda Aloisio rescued Henry Green from burning, Patterson, Louisiana, August 8, 1963. In an excavation six feet square and five feet deep, Green, 50, mechanic, was attempting to screw a metal cap into a hole made in a three-inch pipe carrying natural gas under nine pounds of pressure when the gas caught fire. Flames spurting from the hole fanned over a five-foot area and drove Green into a corner of the excavation where, with flames completely surrounding him, he was unable to climb out and called for help. As the flames rose more than 10 feet into the air, Miss Aloisio, 41, school bus driver, ran 15 feet to near the excavation. Crouching on the ground, she extended one hand and foot to Green beneath flames which swirled over the edge. Green took hold of Miss Aloisio’s foot and hand and was drawn out of the pit as she moved backwards. When he cleared the edge, Green crawled quickly away and rolled on the grass in attempting to put out flames on his body and clothing. Miss Aloisio with her hands beat the flames on Green, and a man wrapped a fireproof jacket around him. Green, who had suffered burns over most of his body, and Miss Aloisio, who had sustained burns on her face, arm, and hand, were hospitalized. Both recovered in several months.
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