Michael D. Campbell rescued Danny J. Carroll from burning, Hamilton, Ohio, June 6, 2014. Carroll, 30, was in a second-floor bedroom of a two-story house when natural gas that had leaked into the structure exploded. Walls of the house and a portion of its roof were blown away, and the structure caught fire. Badly injured, Carroll was pinned to the floor by concrete debris from the chimney, which had collapsed. A neighbor, Campbell, 21, delivery truck driver, was driving nearby and witnessed the explosion. He went to the open front door of the house and entered a few feet, but smoke repulsed him and he exited. Hearing Carroll yelling for help, he re-entered and, guided by Carroll’s cries, advanced to a spiral staircase, ascended, and found Carroll in the bedroom. He removed the debris from Carroll and dragged him to the top of the stairs. Supporting Carroll in a standing position, Campbell descended the stairs backward with him, passing flames that were issuing from a wall vent. When they reached the first floor, the second story partially collapsed. Campbell then hoisted Carroll over one shoulder and started toward the front door with him but fell to the floor en route. As he started to drag Carroll to the door, another man entered the structure and took Carroll outside to safety, Campbell following. Carroll and Campbell required hospital treatment, Carroll for significant burns and other injuries and Campbell for acute smoke inhalation.
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