WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Shaun McQuay is a rehabilitation aide at UPMC Northcentral in Williamsport.
A typical day for him is helping patients get back on their feet, but on November 18, he went above and beyond his title.
"I was on my computer doing stuff with the charts, and I looked out and saw all this smoke flowing basically across the parking lot," said McQuay.
Outside was a burning car in the parking lot of UPMC's campus. Inside the car was an unconscious man. Bystanders tried to open the door as the car filled up with smoke.
"Went and grabbed a hammer and realized they need to get in. So, I ran out and broke the glass," he said.
McQuay showed us where the incident happened. After breaking the window of the car, he noticed the flames were getting bigger.
"I looked over, and all of a sudden, I saw fire coming from the bottom of the car. It was dripping fuel and oil. At that time, they were getting him out, and I took off and grabbed the fire extinguisher," McQuay added.
The hospital says McQuay's quick actions helped save the man's life. His boss, Kristen Durrwachter, says it speaks volumes about his character.
"Putting himself in harm's way to save another person is just incredible, and this doesn't surprise me at all because this is what Shaun does," said Durrwachter.
This isn't the first time McQuay saved a life. Back in 2019, he donated part of his liver to a complete stranger in Pittsburgh.
"It changes your perspective as a person when you do stuff like that. I know when I was in the hospital bed out there that I could be the one on the other side of that," McQuay said.
McQuay had to be treated for cuts on his hand and for breathing in smoke, but he tells us it's a small price to pay for saving someone's life.
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