Men from Prosperity, West Virginia among Carnegie Medal recipients
When Eric Stroud’s sport-utility vehicle rolled over several times and caught fire on Interstate 79 in Greene County during the night of Aug. 3, 2018, Zachary A. McDowell and Scott Ullom didn’t hesitate to act.
The first at the scene of the accident, McDowell and Ullom did not wait for protective equipment to arrive and decided to pull Stroud out of his burning sport-utility vehicle. Since they were unable to open the door on the driver’s side of the SUV, Ullom entered through the rear hatch door while McDowell deployed a fire extinguisher to quell the flames near Stroud. Ullom extricated him from his seat belt, and dragged him to safety, with McDowell assisting. Shortly after, the SUV was consumed by the fire.
For the extraordinary steps they took to save Stroud’s life, both McDowell and Ullom are among the recipients of Carnegie Medals, the highest honor for civilian heroism in the United States and Canada.
McDowell, 22, is an emergency medical technician from Prosperity, and Ullom is 59-year-old paramedic who hails from Dallas, W.Va.
The medals are awarded by the Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie 116 years ago. Individuals who die carrying out acts of heroism are also awarded medals. The fund has also dispersed $41 million in grants, scholarship aid, continuing assistance and death benefits over the course of its life.
The latest round of medal recipients were announced this week. Neither McDowell nor Ullom could be reached for comment.
Other recipients of Carnegie Medals this year include residents of 11 other states, with four of the 15 recipients having died while carrying out the acts of heroism for which they were honored.