Medal of Bravery
Awarded on: 1983-05-13
Invested on: 1983-09-09
Early on the morning of 5 October 1981, John Lucop was motoring on the highway near Nestleton when he witnessed a rear-end collision in which a car caught fire. On arrival at the scene, Mr. Lucop saw that a young couple were semi-conscious inside their burning car, unable to move. He quickly pulled the injured driver out through the partially open door. Though flames were coming out from under the hood and through the broken windshield, and though the smoke was intense, Mr. Lucop went to the passenger side and attempted to break the window with his bare hands. Aware that the vehicle could blow up at any time and that the female passenger would almost certainly perish, he returned on the driver's side, reached inside and dragged her out. Moments later the wrecked car exploded. Mr. Lucop recovered from the left-wrist injury he sustained during the rescue.