Tom Porter says he doesn’t think he’s a hero, but he’ll soon have a bronze medal that says he is.
The Texas resident was awarded a Carnegie Hero medal for pulling a 1-year-old girl from a burning vehicle.
The national award is given to people who perform extraordinary acts of bravery to save the lives of others. Porter was among 20 people from across the country, some of whom died during their attempted rescues, recognized by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission Wednesday.
Porter hurried to the scene of a truck that had crashed into a pole. Flames thwarted his attempt to enter the front of the vehicle to rescue a baby strapped in her seat, so he squeezed through the rear window. Even though the strap around the baby was jammed, and he felt the flames around him, Porter didn’t give up.
(See the list of 20 honorees here.)
(READ the story in the Houston Chronicle)