Rafael González helped to rescue David G. Kennedy from burning, Chelsea, Massachusetts, June 11, 2000. Kennedy, 62, lay unconscious on the living room floor of his apartment after fire broke out in that room and filled the apartment with dense smoke. González, 69, retired hospital administrator, and another man, both residents of the building, responded to the door of Kennedy’s apartment while evacuating the building. They opened the door to dense smoke, then entered the unit and crawled through a hallway into the living room, where they found Kennedy just a few feet from the flames. They grasped Kennedy under his arms, but the other man took in smoke and had to leave the apartment. Maintaining his hold, González dragged Kennedy toward the apartment door. After González had gone about 10 feet, or halfway, the other man rejoined him, and together they dragged Kennedy the rest of the way out of the apartment. Kennedy was hospitalized for six days for treatment of smoke inhalation, minor burns on his legs, and other injury. He recovered. González coughed for about an hour but was otherwise uninjured.
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