In the early hours of August 31 in New York’s Hudson Valley, Larry Pickett Jr., a second-year cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and a football player, along with his father, heroically rescued an unconscious man from a burning car. The vehicle had crashed into a utility pole, bringing down power lines and catching fire. Video footage captured by Pickett Jr.’s sister and his father’s dashcam shows the two men pulling the man from the wreckage moments before the car erupted in flames.

Pickett Jr.’s quick response was driven by his military training, and both he and his father provided care to the victim until emergency responders arrived. The U.S. Military Academy praised their courageous actions as embodying Army values. The family had been in the area to attend Pickett Jr.’s first football game, and their timely intervention prevented a potential tragedy.