Cape Bretoners honoured
Glace Bay fire rescue leads to medals recognizing bravery
A dramatic rescue from a burning Glace Bay home two years ago has led to Carnegie Medals recognizing acts of heroism for two men.
During a May 12, 2014 fire, John W. Gallie saved Kevin and Sean Murphy and others from burning, while Craig Alexander Morash helped to save Mary Ann Murphy, according to the Carnegie Commission that awards the medals.
Brothers Kevin, 43, and Sean, 47, both disabled, were in bedrooms on the first floor of the 1.5-storey house when a fire broke out in the kitchen that night.
Also in the house were their sister, Mary Ann, 46, and her boyfriend, Morash, 43, who were asleep on the upper floor.
Mary Ann’s son, Gallie, 28, a customer service representative, was sleeping in the living room.
Awakened to the fire, Gallie entered Kevin’s bedroom, just off the living room, and hoisted him over a shoulder before taking him out the nearby front door to safety.
Gallie then re-entered the house, crossing the burning kitchen, to advance to Sean’s adjoining bedroom.
By then, flames in the kitchen had grown to the ceiling and were spreading along the walls, and smoke extended from the ceiling halfway to the floor.
Gallie forced open the bedroom door, advanced to Sean, and guided him to the doorway, where Sean fell.
He then dragged Sean outside to safety through the front door before again re-entering the house, crossing the kitchen, and passing within three feet of intense flames, to bang on a ladder extending to an upper floor to alert Mary Ann and Morash.
Assured that they were awake, Gallie fled the house, passing through flames to reach the front door.
Assuming that Mary Ann was following him, Morash descended a ladder through thick smoke to the main floor and advanced to Sean’s bedroom to check on him.
Hearing Mary Ann screaming from the upper level, Morash returned to the ladder, having to pass through the burning kitchen. He then climbed to the upper level with flames following him.
After placing a piece of plywood over the opening to the upper level, Morash led Mary Ann to and through a small window that opened to the roof of the back porch.
He then jumped 10 feet to the ground. Extending his arms, he broke Mary Ann’s fall as she jumped with flames coming from the window.
Gallie and Morash required a hospital stay of nine days for treatment of serious smoke inhalation, Gallie having suffered first-degree burns on about six per cent of his body.
The medals are named for Pittsburgh steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who was inspired by stories of heroism during a coal mine disaster that killed 181 people, including a miner and an engineer who died trying to rescue others.
The Carnegie Commission investigates stories of heroism and awards medals and cash several times a year. It has given away $38 million to 9,845 awardees or their families since 1904.
A total of 24 Carnegie Medals have been awarded this year, including Steve Ross and Keiren Tompkins for the rescue of Justin Rouleau from icy waters near Baddeck in 2014.