15 honored for their heroic actions that saved lives
SEATTLE -- Three groups were among those honored Thursday by the Red Cross for not only saving the day, but saving a life.
Among those honored as Red Cross Heroes were a young Renton boy who saved his brother from choking, a team of firefighters who knocked down the-mother-of- all fires, and two young adults revived a jogger who collapsed.
The firefighters got the honor for a fire that began as a fireworks call; smoke coming from a boarding house. Firefighters just blocks away were on it, but from the time they left the station and got to the scene - just a matter minutes - the smoke turned to fire and that fire turned wicked and wild.
"The fire was already through the roof," said Capt. Mike Proulx with Renton Fire. "We got out a few minutes behind them and there was a thermal column 50 to 60 feet in the air."
But it wasn't just the flames to worry about -- a tenant was trapped on the second floor.
"It was a little bit overwhelming just to start with," Proulx said.
Renton Fire Station 11 got a ladder to the victim, but he panicked and jumped out the window. Firefighter Mike Bain miraculously caught him.
At Thursday's Red Cross Heroes breakfast, the entire team got a heroes' thank you.
"We all just feel a little bit funny we're being awarded for something that is part of our job," Proulx said. "But it's certainly a nice award to get."
In all, 15 people, including four students, were honored for their courage and calm under fire.
But Aaron Pierce and Crystal Chi will have a lifetime of thanks from Dave Borgens.
"Made two new friends -- several friends out of this," Borgens said. "I just feel indebted to them."
Borgens was jogging when he collapsed outside Mountainview High School. That's when the duo's CPR training kicked in.
"Definitely autopilot I was just going by my first instinct," Crystal Chi said.
"It was kind of nerve wracking, but it wasn't," added Pierce. "Everything went as good you can ask."
The youngest hero honored this year? 9-year-old Bergen Till.
He saved his baby brother's life when he choked on beef jerky. Before his parents could react, Bergen performed text-book abdominal thrust, and out popped the beef jerky and little Neville could breathe again.
Among those honored as Red Cross Heroes were a young Renton boy who saved his brother from choking, a team of firefighters who knocked down the-mother-of- all fires, and two young adults revived a jogger who collapsed.
The firefighters got the honor for a fire that began as a fireworks call; smoke coming from a boarding house. Firefighters just blocks away were on it, but from the time they left the station and got to the scene - just a matter minutes - the smoke turned to fire and that fire turned wicked and wild.
"The fire was already through the roof," said Capt. Mike Proulx with Renton Fire. "We got out a few minutes behind them and there was a thermal column 50 to 60 feet in the air."
But it wasn't just the flames to worry about -- a tenant was trapped on the second floor.
"It was a little bit overwhelming just to start with," Proulx said.
Renton Fire Station 11 got a ladder to the victim, but he panicked and jumped out the window. Firefighter Mike Bain miraculously caught him.
At Thursday's Red Cross Heroes breakfast, the entire team got a heroes' thank you.
"We all just feel a little bit funny we're being awarded for something that is part of our job," Proulx said. "But it's certainly a nice award to get."
In all, 15 people, including four students, were honored for their courage and calm under fire.
But Aaron Pierce and Crystal Chi will have a lifetime of thanks from Dave Borgens.
"Made two new friends -- several friends out of this," Borgens said. "I just feel indebted to them."
Borgens was jogging when he collapsed outside Mountainview High School. That's when the duo's CPR training kicked in.
"Definitely autopilot I was just going by my first instinct," Crystal Chi said.
"It was kind of nerve wracking, but it wasn't," added Pierce. "Everything went as good you can ask."
The youngest hero honored this year? 9-year-old Bergen Till.
He saved his baby brother's life when he choked on beef jerky. Before his parents could react, Bergen performed text-book abdominal thrust, and out popped the beef jerky and little Neville could breathe again.