AUGUSTA — Two local men were recently given awards for helping save the life of a woman who attempted to jump from a bridge.

Allan King of Chelsea and John Bell of Augusta were given the life-saving award from the Maine Chiefs of Police Association. The awards were presented Friday at the Wyndham Hotel in South Portland.

The rescue happened Dec. 17 when a woman contemplated jumping from the Calumet Bridge over the Kennebec River in Augusta, according to a release from the Augusta Police Department. She was standing outside the railing over the river, police said.

Both King and Bell stopped and spoke to the woman, grabbed her and pulled her back over the railing.

Police Chief Robert Gregoire said he nominated the two men for the life-saving award after reviewing police reports of the incident. The nominations went through a strict review by a committee, which unanimously agreed to present King and Bell with life-saving awards.

Police seek man in burning house

A Canton man was last seen yelling for help from a second-floor window of his burning house after returning to the home Tuesday night to rescue his dogs, according to state fire officials.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office said the 64-year-old man went back into his burning house, on School Street to rescue his three dogs.

He was last seen “hollering for help from a second floor window, as fire engulfed his house,” according to a press release from Steve McCausland, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety. The man’s name was not released.

The fire was reported at 5 p.m. A team of three fire marshal investigators were at the fire scene and the release said they would begin the search for the man once the fire was out.

Compiled from staff reports

Copy the Story Link