Newport Beach : Cerritos Crash Hero Is Firefighter of the Year
The Newport Harbor Exchange Club has named Newport Beach firefighter Ralph Restadius the recipient of its Fireman of the Year award for his work during the Aeromexico crash in Cerritos in 1986.
Restadius, who has worked at the Newport Beach department since August, 1985, was off duty when he witnessed the crash and rushed to the scene to help residents. Dressed only in shorts and a shirt and with a wet sleeping bag for protection, Restadius entered one burning house to discover the occupants already dead. He stayed on the scene for five hours, assisting other firefighters. Restadius, 27 and a Orange County native, is the youngest ever to receive the honor.
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