Several heroic drivers risked their lives to save a man from a burning car in the Toronto area Monday.
Footage of the rescue from Ontario Provincial Police shows a white sedan on the side of the highway, smoke billowing from the passenger side. Newsmax shared the footage on social media. The 36-year-old driver experienced a medical emergency and was trapped inside the vehicle as it burned, CBC reported.
The men repeatedly tried to break through the driver’s side window to rescue the driver, and eventually broke through using a hammer, CBC continued.
“I realized something was wrong, I saw the car on fire,” one of the heroes, Ben Sykes, told the outlet.
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“You know there’s danger; you’re constantly evaluating that on top of trying to get this guy out,” Sykes continued, according to CBC. Fabricio Lauar and three other men sprung into action alongside Sykes, the outlet continued.
“We had to get him out at that moment, a couple seconds [the vehicle] would’ve exploded,” Lauar told CBC. “We were hoping the window would break, it was the only chance we had.” (RELATED: Video Shows Man Repeatedly Running Over Woman With SUV After Minor Incident)
A man in a dump truck threw the heroes a hammer, and they were able to drag the man from the vehicle just seconds before the whole thing burst into flames, as seen in the video. The driver spoke to Sykes and Lauar after the rescue and reportedly told them he was “good, recovering, [and] thankful” for what they did, CBC reported.
“It was all teamwork; we were lucky to get him out,” Lauar continued. “We’re going for a beer after this,” Sykes noted to CBC. Those involved in the rescue have been nominated for the Fire Chief’s Commendation Award by Mississauga’s Fire Chief, according to Toronto City News.