Rene Javier Cerda

Rene Javier Cerda helped to save David English from suffocation, Pensacola, Florida, November 1, 1982. English, 37, lay in shock with burns over 75 percent of his body after a flash fire in a hydraulic pump room. After escaping the room unharmed, Cerda, 36, maintenance machinist, re-entered the room twice for English but was turned away by heavy smoke each time. On a third attempt, Cerda, crawling, led other men into the room and located English. He removed English with the help of the others. Cerda recovered from smoke inhalation. English later died of his burns.