Two Canadians honoured by Carnegie commission for heroism

PITTSBURGH – Two Canadians are among the latest 21 people being honoured with Carnegie medals for heroism.

The Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission investigates stories of heroism and awards medals and cash several times a year.

Clark Whitecalf, 41, of Gallivan, Sask., was honoured for rescuing an 18-year-old sleeping woman from a burning house in August 2015.

Whitecalf, an unemployed construction worker at the time, was driving by with his family when he noticed flames.

After being blocked by smoke and flames, Whitecalf eventually crawled into the house and found the woman unresponsive on a couch and dragged her outside. The woman was treated in hospital for burns while Whitecalf suffered smoke inhalation and declined treatment.

READ MORE: 3 Ontario men among 7 Canadians awarded Carnegie heroism medals

The second Canadian, 51-year-old Calvin Bradley Stein of Madoc, Ont., received a medal for saving a 3-year-old girl from being trampled by runaway ponies at a fairground in Tweed, Ont., in July.

The girl was inside the track at a fairground when two ponies broke free and headed toward her at full speed. Stein, a utility worker, ran about 16 metres to the girl, scooped her up and threw her clear of the runaways.

The ponies hit and dragged Stein, who suffered a concussion, facial fractures and lacerations. The girl suffered only minor injuries.

The Carnegie commission is named for the late 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 fund has given away US$38.7 million to 9,914 awardees or their families since 1904.