William T. Coleman saved Arnold C. Miller from being killed by a falling beam, Lattimore, North Carolina, March 23, 1960. While Miller, 30, welder, and Coleman, 42, pipefitter, were working at ground level within the skeleton steel framework of a building under construction, a steel beam 30 feet long and weighing more than a ton was lifted to the top of the structure by means of a crane. The beam tipped and struck a roof truss, loosening the wire rope loop, which held it. As the beam began to slide out of loop, Coleman from 50 feet below saw that it was headed in the direction of Miller, who was unaware of the situation. Shouting a warning, Coleman lunged at Miller with both arms outstretched, striking him hard on his shoulder and driving him back. The falling beam lightly grazed Miller, struck Coleman forcibly on the hip, and then plowed two feet into the ground. Miller sustained only a minor injury, Coleman suffered extensive injury to his hip, including a fractured pelvis, and was hospitalized two months. He recovered but will be permanently disabled.
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