MISSISSAUGA, Ontario (Nov. 18, 2004) — Bridgestone/Firestone Canada Inc. has recognized a Canadian trucker for saving a motorist from drowning after an accident.
Phil Tarrant, an employee of Vedder Transport Ltd. in Abbotsford, British Columbia, received the 2004 Bridgestone/Firestone Canadian Truck Hero Award. The annual award is presented to a trucker who demonstrates courage, quick thinking and integrity in an emergency.
BFS said Mr. Tarrant was driving in Mission, British Columbia, in April when the car in front of him lost control, hit a utility pole and flipped upside down in a water-filled ditch. The car's occupant was trapped inside. With the help of another motorist, Mr. Tarrant drove his truck to the partially submerged car and hooked his crane's line to the vehicle. Guiding the car past the live power lines, he lifted the car about four feet out of the water so the other motorist could breathe. The car was suspended until emergency crews removed the driver, then Mr. Tarrant set the vehicle on the roadside.
Along with a trophy, Mr. Tarrant also received $5,000.
“His courage and determination in carrying out a rescue mission fraught with danger can only be described as an act of true heroism,” said Jim West, district manager, commercial products eastern Canada for BFS.