Henri J. Guay,52, taxi driver, rescued Charles Cloutier, 30, truck driver, from burning, Orleans, Ontario, October 18, 1968. When Cloutier’s tractor-trailer was involved in an accident, its load of fireproof plasterboard was spilled and the heavy sheets crushed the top of the cab. Cloutier, badly injured, was trapped inside as flames appeared at the front end of the vehicle. Guay ran to the rig but found the door at the driver’s side blocked by the plasterboard sheets. He ran to the other side, where there were no flames, but the door there was damaged and he was unable to open it. Several unidentified men arrived, and they aided Guay in pulling down the top part of the door to provide an opening. The other men then backed away as Guay stepped up onto the auxiliary fuel tank, which was just below the door and from which diesel fuel was gushing. Extending his head and shoulders into the cab. Guay grasped the arm of Cloutier. who was conscious. Cloutier was of some assistance as Guay with effort pulled him from the cab. One of the other men then ran to Guay and aided him in carrying Cloutier away. They were about 18 feet from the cab when the auxiliary tank exploded and flames as much as 25 feet high quickly engulfed the tractor. Cloutier was hospitalized for his injuries and burns. He recovered.
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