Officer

California Highway Patrol

5/14/1959

Special Act Award (Gold)

At 3:40 pm, while on routine patrol in West Los Angeles, Officer George R. Stewart observed smoke coming from a house. Officer Stewart stopped and asked bystanders whether anyone was in the house when a woman rushed from the rear of the house screaming “My baby is in the bedroom!” Without regard for his own personal safety, Officer Stewart immediately entered the building through a side entrance, but was unable to reach the child because of the heavy smoke and flames. Officer Stewart then ran to the rear of the house, broke open the child’s bedroom window and entered the room. Despite the dense smoke and intense heat, Officer Stewart searched until he found the baby, who was suffering from serious burns and in imminent danger of suffocation. Officer Stewart carried the one year old baby to a window and handed him to a neighbor.