David R. McMillan rescued George Richards and Charles R. Ramsey from burning, Santa Ana, California, October 29, 1952. At night, a two-door sedan occupied by Richards, 21, and Ramsey, 26, crashed through a wooden barricade and came to a stop astride the edge of an excavation. Richards was injured severely and rendered unconscious by the crash, his legs being pinned beneath the dashboard. Ramsey was badly stunned and landed partly atop Richards. Flames broke out at the hood and spread into the automobile, reaching the men’s legs. McMillan, 49, chief probation officer, alighted from his automobile and ran to the open left door of the sedan. Dense flames filled the space beneath the dashboard. Extending his arms and head into the sedan, McMillan took hold of Ramsey and drew him outside. After dragging him away, McMillan returned to the doorway and obtained a hold on Richards. He repeatedly tugged on Richards but could not dislodge him. He groped downward along the front of the seat in an effort to free Richards’s feet, but intense heat forced him to withdraw. Leaning farther into the sedan, McMillan lifted Richards and with great effort freed him and drew him outside. He dragged Richards to safety as the flames increased in intensity. When McMillan again approached the car to search for other occupants, flames spurted upward from the floor of the front compartment and burned his face. Observing that the back seat was unoccupied, he left to summon aid. Flames consumed all but the metal parts of the sedan. Richards and Ramsey sustained severe leg burns and were hospitalized for five months. McMillan suffered burns of the hands and face that healed in 10 days. 42716-3855
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