Robert K. Barth

Robert K. Barth helped to save Melissa M. Bauer from burning, Cambria, Wisconsin, August 25, 2003. Ms. Bauer, 26, was the driver of a car that, in a highway accident, was knocked off the roadway and into a farmyard. She was trapped in the wreckage, from which flames issued in the engine area. Barth, 43, carpenter, and a friend drove upon the scene and stopped. Barth attempted to gain entry to the vehicle on its driver’s side but was unsuccessful. He then entered the back-seat area of the car from its passenger side and pulled on the driver’s seat to free Ms. Bauer while his friend entered the front-seat area and did the same. Flames entering the car through its broken-out windshield ignited the dashboard and ceiling. After Barth managed to pull the seat back, his friend worked to free Ms. Bauer’s legs, which remained trapped underneath the dashboard. The men then maneuvered Ms. Bauer into the back seat and removed her from the car. Ms. Bauer required hospital treatment for injuries received during the collision, but she was not burned. Barth strained back muscles during the rescue, and he recovered.