UNDATED (WSAU-Wheeler News) A western Wisconsin man is the state’s latest recipient of the prestigious Carnegie Medal for Heroism. Dean Nelson of Mondovi is among 20 people whose awards are being announced today.
The 31-year-old Nelson saved a five-year-old girl in a fire at a home where he lived in Gilmanton last February. Molli Ellis was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom when the blaze broke out. The Carnegie Web site said Nelson fled with severe burns, and he then placed a step-ladder against the outside of the home to enter Molli’s bedroom — where he crawled through heavy smoke to retrieve her. They then fell from the window to the ground, where they survived not only the flames but also sub-zero temperatures.
Nelson is Wisconsin’s second Carnegie Medal recipient in recent months. Jeffrey Johnson of North Freedom won the honor in December for saving a man from drowning.
The Carnegie Medal is named in honor of Pittsburgh steel industry magnate Andrew Carnegie. A commission has recognized over 9,700 heroes, and has given away $37-million in cash grants, since the awards began in 1904. They’re now presented four times each year.