On the afternoon of 28 July 1984, Austin McKinley rescued an elderly man when fire swept through a wooden house in Alma, New Brunswick. Passing motorist Mr. McKinley noticed smoke billowing from the roof. He stopped his vehicle, entered the enclosed porch and called out. On hearing a faint voice, Mr. McKinley crawled along the floor on his hands and knees. Disregarding the obvious danger, he moved through intense heat and smoke and found the man sitting at the kitchen table, unable to walk because of a crippling ailment. He grabbed him by the arm and dragged him outside, almost certainly saving his life.