A special ceremony was held at Edmonton City Hall Tuesday morning to thank an off-duty firefighter for his brave actions that saved another man’s life back in April.
David Liska, 35, was exiting Anthony Henday Drive onto Campbell Road on April 16 when he went into medical distress. Witnesses saw his vehicle swerve, plow into the back of an SUV and immediately burst into flames. Liska was trapped.
“My feet and my legs were already getting so hot; my shoes were melting,” Liska recalled.
“I was trying to get out and trying to pull myself out… I honestly thought that it was just done.”
That’s when Chris Scott happened to drive by. The firefighter was headed into work for a night shift. He saw the fiery crash, pulled over and asked people standing nearby if everyone was accounted for. No one seemed to know for sure, so he ran towards Liska’s car.
He jumped in the back seat, grabbed Liska under the arms and pulled him between the seats as hard as he could. With the help of David Lewis, another Good Samaritan, Liska was pulled free through the back passenger door, with just seconds to spare.
READ MORE: Edmonton man recalls being pulled from burning vehicle by off-duty firefighter
On Tuesday, city councillors honoured Scott for his life-saving actions.
“I feel humbled that all my friends and family could join me and that David’s healthy and in good spirits,” the firefighter said.
“He’ll be driving soon, hopefully, and life will get back to normal.”
Scott admitted he still thinks about that day often.
“Whenever I drive to work I think about it… What if I didn’t stop? What if I was early? What if I was late? The timing worked out perfectly.”
Liska also becomes emotional when considering the possible outcomes.
“You think about the second chance that you get and then I think… literally 15 seconds later, having the worst death conceivable. Those emotions — it’s hard not to feel one without the other.
“Every time I hear the story, every time I tell the story — it just all comes flashing back.”
Watch: An Edmonton man who was pulled from his fiery vehicle by an off-duty firefighter says it’s a day that will forever be etched in his mind. Two months after the crash, the pair returned to the scene for the first time. Carole Anne Devaney has the story.
Liska suffered smoke inhalation and some bruising on his hips and shoulders from the crash.
The reality of being able to stand and pose for photos at city hall Tuesday was not lost on him.
“I’m happy to be in the picture, happy to be here. I was at the dentist getting a root canal and was happy to be getting a root canal.
“I’m just so honoured that Chris is the man that he is, that he had no second thoughts. It was just something he had to do,” Liska said. “He just got in there and got me out. It’s hard to put into words.”
The pair have plans to go for drinks sometime soon.
While Scott may not ask for any kind of public recognition, Liska is “absolutely” glad he’s getting some.
“To downplay things like this makes everything level, flat-lining,” he explained. “There’s supposed to be peaks and valleys.”
For his part, Scott hopes others take one thing away from his story.
“Think about others before yourselves,” he said simply. “If you see somebody in need, help them.
“Everybody needs a little hand once in a while, especially in this case. If nobody was to look, if nobody was to stop, David wouldn’t be here right now. Just think about others.”
Watch: Off-duty firefighter describes pulling Edmonton man from burning vehicle
— With files from Carole Anne Devaney
Comments