A former deputy chief of the Oil Springs Fire Department was recognized by Lambton County Council Wednesday morning for his bravery during a recent fire.
Terry May and his fiancée helped save a woman in their Petrolia neighbourhood in early April when a house on Queen St. erupted in flames.
May, who's now retired, says he relied upon his previous training in search and rescue.
"I got down on my hands and knees and looked in the door, seeing the resemblance of a body laying there in the kitchen, and I crawled in and grabbed on to the lady and pulled her out to the porch," says May who suffers from arthritis and uses a cane to walk. "Another lady assisted me to carry her legs and that down the stairs."
The woman was transported to London hospital with severe smoke inhalation on April 6 and has since recovered.
The former deputy chief says he's dealt with fatalities in the past.
"To save a person and she fully recovered, it feels really good. It really does," he says.
May was deputy chief for 11 years, leaving the position in 2001. He says it was his first time saving a person's life.
