Connie Sue Gries rescued Robert J. Betz from burning, Evansville, Indiana, January 15, 1988. Betz, 23, was trapped in the burning cab of a tractor-trailer after a highway accident. A nearby resident, Mrs. Gries, 36, housewife, ran to the scene and heard Betz call for help; she then saw him partially emerge from the wreckage. Mrs. Gries ran to Betz, whose legs were stuck and aflame inside the cab, and, despite the intense heat, pulled Betz, freeing him. She dragged him several feet, then helped him extinguish flames on his clothing. The cab was shortly engulfed by flames. Betz was hospitalized for severe burns, and Mrs. Gries sustained minor burns, from which she recovered.
62747 – 7249
62747-7249