'Every second wasted could mean life or death'
EUGENE, Ore. -- The Suzuki Sidekick hit a semi-trailer, went into the median and plunged off a 40-foot embankment, landing upsidedown in a creek along Interstate 5 south of Albany last July.
Jay Burris of Salem saw the accident, pulled over, called 911 -- and jumped in the water.
"Get involved and help," Burris recalled thinking, "because every second wasted could mean life or death."
"My first thought was she under water, so drowning was the first concern, no matter what her injuries were," the Comcast employee from Salem told KVAL News last week. "That's why I chose to climb down the embankment and get in the water and pull her out."
Oregon State Police praised Burris and two other passersby with saving Beatriz Mendoza Olvera, 44, from her submerged car. Then together, the three men were able to flip the vehicle onto its wheels in the water to check for anyone else inside.
Burris didn't jump into the water looking to be a hero. "It just felt like the right thing to do," he said.
His co-worker Dave Rothman, who said all Comcast technicians receive emergency training, disagreed.
"He's a model, he's an example, especially to our techs -- they're prepared," Rothman said. "He was really prepared. He made the right choice."
Rothman nominated Burris for an American Red Cross Everyday Hero Award. Last week, the organization presented Burris with an award for saving a life.
