Everyday hero: With only seconds to spare, Corey rescued Richard from a fiery car accident
As Corey Purington approached a burning car, he didn’t think anyone could have survived the crash. But someone had…and Corey had mere seconds to save the stranger’s life!
The Florida sun dipped low as Richard Broccolo cruised toward his Winter Garden home. After a golf weekend with buddies, the retired firefighter was eager to see his wife, kids and grandkids. But then, suddenly— boom!— a front tire exploded!
Richard clamped the wheel as his car lurched violently. He wrested for control, but the tire rim caught the pavement edge and the car flipped end-overend once, twice, three times.
Richard blacked out. When he came to, his head throbbed. His left arm hung useless— and from the excruciating pain, he knew he had a broken shoulder and several cracked ribs.
Got to…get out, the 64-yearold struggled to focus, but the door was crushed shut. The electric window was dead. Seeing the rear window had shattered, Richard hoped he could push his way out. The pain was so great, it took all he had to release the belt and wriggle between the seats.
That’s when he heard the pop and fizz…and then spotted the orange glow beneath the crumpled hood. Richard knew he had mere minutes before the flames engulfed the engine.
Bracing himself against the seat back, he tried pushing through the rear window. But he could barely reach, and, with only one good arm, he couldn’t pull himself closer.
During his 43-year career Richard had rescued dozens of people from fiery deaths. But now, his own life hung in the balance. As flames spread into the car cabin, he let out a last, desperate plea. “Please, somebody! I don’t want to die!”
Several hundred yards away, Corey Purington, 20, was at work setting rebar for a new swimming pool when he heard the sound of crunching metal and turned to see the sedan tumble into a line of trees.
No one could have survived that, Corey thought, as he ran to the burning wreckage. But then he heard Richard’s cry.
Corey leapt onto the rear bumper and peered into the smoke and spotted Richard. “How can I help?”
“I’m going to give you my arm,” Richard called to the stranger. “You need to pull me out in the next few seconds or I’m going to die.”
“Got it!” Corey called nervously, and bracing his feet against the bumper, he grabbed
Richard’s arm in both hands and pulled with everything he had. Inch by inch, Corey kept pulling, calling on strength he never knew he possessed.
Richard’s pants and shirt were aflame as Corey gave one final tug and the two tumbled backward onto the ground. Corey then dragged Richard across the road to safety.
Corey escaped with minor burns. But along with broken bones, Richard suffered thirddegree burns over 40% of his body. He spent a month in an induced coma, but as soon as he was awake, he called to thank Corey for saving his life.
But Corey insisted he did nothing special. “I only did what I would hope someone would do for me,” he said.
Richard disagrees. “I was trained for that sort of thing. What he did was extraordinary. It took strength, bravery and a willingness to help, and in my book that makes Corey a true hero.”