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Thomas Julius Sais Jr. of Palm Bay Honored with Carnegie Medal for Heroism

By  //  March 28, 2018

PULLED MOTORIST FROM WRECKED BURING SUV

Thomas Julius Sais Jr., of Palm Bay, who pulled a man from a burning SUV in October 2016 was one of 18 people honored with Carnegie Medals for heroism. The Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced the award winners Monday.

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Thomas Julius Sais Jr., of Palm Bay, who pulled a man from a burning SUV in October 2016 was one of 18 people honored with Carnegie Medals for heroism. The Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced the award winners Monday.

The Hero Fund Commission was founded and endowed by steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It has awarded nearly $40 million to 10,000 heroes or their families since 1904.

Sais helped to save a 60-year-old man who was in a sports utility vehicle that, in a highway accident, left the highway, descended a steep embankment, overturned and came to rest on its passenger side in dense vegetation at the embankment’s base.

The front of the vehicle caught fire along with nearby vegetation.

Sais, 62, a construction project manager, stopped at the scene, descended the embankment to the vehicle and broke out the glass from its rear hatch window, then climbed fully inside.

Sais moved to the motorist, who was in the driver’s seat and suspended by his seat belt. Unable to release the belt, Sais exited the vehicle and called out to onlookers for a knife.

Unable to secure a knife, Sais re-entered and this time was successful in releasing the motorist from his belt. Despite the intense heat and advancing flames at the vehicle’s front, Sais grasped the motorist and, with difficulty, began to pull him toward the rear hatch.

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A police sergeant arrived and fully entered the vehicle through the broken hatch window, grasped the motorist, and made efforts to pull him toward the rear window.

Sais and the sergeant exited and standing outside at the rear window with a police officer, reached into the vehicle and pulled the motorist from the vehicle’s cargo area out onto the ground as flames spread.

The motorist was moved up to the embankment to safety and the motorist, who was not burned, was then taken to a hospital for treatment.

Sais fully recovered from lacerations to his hands, arms and legs.

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