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2 EMTs receive Medal of Valor after pulling man from burning car

Shane Sharkey and Ian King jumped into a “fly car” after overhearing that a crash had occurred and found that a man was trapped inside a burning vehicle

By EMS1 Staff

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Two EMTs were honored with a Medal of Valor for rescuing a man from a burning car.

27East.com reported that Southampton Volunteer Ambulance EMTs Shane Sharkey and Ian King jumped into action on June 18, 2017 after overhearing on the scanner that a crash had occurred.

The two EMTs jumped into a “fly car” and arrived at what they described as a horrific crash scene of a vehicle that had crashed into a tree, rolled on its side and caught fire.

Witnesses told Sharkey and King that a man was trapped inside of the vehicle and was screaming for help.

King and Sharkey quickly ran into the woods with a fire extinguisher and put out the 10-to 15-foot flames that were coming from the car.

“Without even thinking about it, I went in to try to get the guy and was able to pull him out,” Sharkey said. “Once we pulled him out, we got him to the same side of the road we were parked on. We had to move because the woods caught on fire.”

Sharkey and King were awarded Medals of Valor for the rescue by the Fireman’s Association of the State of New York. They were also named EMS Providers of the Year and awarded the Public Service Award by the Southampton Town Police Department.

“We were fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time that evening,” King said. “Thanks to our training, we were able to rapidly and decisively intervene.”

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