Richard Donald Harper saved John M. Wortham and two others from suffocation, Richmond, California, December 8, 1967. At night in a two-story frame building fire broke out in the living room of a ground-floor apartment where John, 3, and two younger children occupied a rear bedroom. Learning that the children were inside, Harper, 44, ship rigger, ran to the apartment’s only door. Although his feet were bare, he kicked open the door and stepped inside. He skirted flames, which were spreading rapidly in the living room, and ran into a hall. Heat was intense. Harper kept his eyes closed most of the time and, guided by the children’s cries, he made his way to the bedroom, which was filled with dense smoke. He located John and took him to the apartment door. After handing John to a man outside, Harper made his way back to the bedroom as conditions worsened. Again guided by the crying, Harper located one of the other children, a two-year-old girl. He picked her up and carried her into the hall. Noting increased heat, he opened his eyes briefly and saw that his path was blocked by flames. Harper retreated into the bedroom with the girl and made his way to a window which a man outside had broken. After handing the girl through the opening to persons outside, Harper groped about the room and found the third child, a boy,1. By then, almost overcome by heat and smoke, Harper staggered to the window, handed the boy to those outside, and climbed out of the bedroom. 49998-5437
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49998-5437