Rhonda S. Robbins rescued Dezeray F. Robbins from burning, Ellsworth, Maine, November 14, 1993. Dezeray, 5, and another young child were in the bed of a parked pickup truck when fire broke out in the bed, which was capped. Ms. Robbins, 25, Dezeray’s mother, was alerted to the fire and ran to the bed, which was filled with black smoke and flames. As the other child, aflame, had left the truck, Ms. Robbins assumed that Dezeray was inside. She climbed onto the tailgate and, crouching, walked through burning gasoline vapors to where she found Dezeray in a far corner of the bed. She grasped Dezeray but then became disoriented as she attempted to escape. After circling, Ms. Robbins went back to the tailgate and climbed from the truck with Dezeray. Dezeray was hospitalized three months for treatment of extensive burns and severe smoke inhalation. Ms. Robbins was hospitalized 24 days for treatment of smoke inhalation and second- and third-degree burns to 20 percent of her body.
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