On Thursday, May 5, 2022, Lakeside Fire District Chief Don Butz presented the 2022 Spirit of Courage Award to Barry Haberman and Scott Andre

Barry was driving a group of men from the East County Transitional Living Center to work on June 6, 2021 when they saw a car on fire driving down the opposite side of the highway. Barry quickly pulled over their vehicle and ran down the embankment as the blazing car came to a stop with flames pouring out the back half. The other men followed and spread out to each side of the car to see what they could do.

Barry raced to the passenger side and saw a woman struggling to get out. He quickly got the door open and pulled her away from the flames, burning his hand in the process. The woman yelled that her husband was still inside and begged the men to not let him burn. The back seats of the car were completely engulfed in fire, and the smoke so thick he couldn’t see the driver. Barry raced to the driver side to see what he could do while the other men, including Scott, rushed to help the woman now on the side of the highway. At this point small explosions were bursting from the car, causing the embankment to catch fire. Scott led the effort to swiftly move the woman further away from the growing flames and to safety.

On the driver’s side, Barry observed the driver door open, but the man was desperately struggling to get out. His seatbelt had jammed. Barry lunged forward into the car and unlatched the seat belt and quickly pulled the man out of the car as you can see in the video a passerby captured on their phone.

Scott and the other men grabbed the man and dragged him to safety to wait with his wife until the fire department and EMT arrived.