Walter M. Hernandez attempted to rescue John A. Powers from burning, Tucson, Arizona, September 23, 1967. At night at a nursing center, fire broke out in a ground-floor room occupied by Powers, 75, and other elderly men who could walk only with assistance. Hernandez, 19, hospital orderly, and two nurse’s aides removed all but Powers, whose right side was paralyzed. When Hernandez re-entered the room for Powers, heat and smoke head increased considerably. Hernandez removed his jacket and, unclothed above the waist, ran to where Powers lay in a bed at the opposite side of the room the flames. Supporting Powers, who greatly outweighed him, Hernandez started to lead him around a bed between them and an outside door. Both fell to the floor with Powers on top of Hernandez. After extricating himself, Hernandez tried to drag Powers but could not move him. Breathing with difficulty, Hernandez crawled outside. He obtained four fire extinguishers and returned to the room, where conditions had worsened. Four times Hernandez crawled to Powers with an extinguisher and emptied it on him as the flames spread toward them. He tried in vain to move Powers. By the time he had used the last extinguisher, heat was unbearable. Firemen arrived as Hernandez, badly dazed, crawled out of the room. The firemen removed Powers, who had suffered fatal burns from the heat. Hernandez later lost consciousness. He was revived and removed to a hospital, where it was found that his respiratory system had been irritated by the heat. He recovered. 49844-5421
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