AHMAR KHAN: A Monday morning drive for Ben Sykes
turned into a rescue mission.
BEN SYKES: I can't leave this guy in here,
knowing that there's just this thin piece
of glass between, you know, life and death.
AHMAR KHAN: The commercial real estate broker leapt out
of his car to join a group of others
to save a man from a burning car.
BEN SYKES: We have maybe a minute or two before
the whole car is in flames.
I mean, you could see the smoke and the fire
is building quickly.
AHMAR KHAN: The driver suffered a seizure
while driving down the Queen Elizabeth
highway around 10:00 AM, causing him to crash his vehicle.
Sykes and the three other men hammered at the window,
trying to break it.
Eventually, they got in through the passenger door,
freeing him, and pulling him out to safety
from the driver's side.
BEN SYKES: Car was literally engulfed in flames
probably like 30 seconds later.
So again, just good timing and--
AHMAR KHAN: Mississauga Fire Captain Chris Ogg and his team
responded to the incident.
CHRIS OGG: Vehicle fire is probably
close to 1,000 degrees.
They got to him just in time.
AHMAR KHAN: Ogg says he's blown away by the entire situation.
CHRIS OGG: A tremendous act of heroism.
I've never seen anything like it in my 28 years
as a firefighter.
AHMAR KHAN: The aftermath has been emotional for Sykes.
BEN SYKES: Think about your family in that same spot.
Think about yourself in that same spot.
So I'm just thankful.
AHMAR KHAN: Despite no serious injuries and everyone making it
out safely, Sykes says reflecting on the situation
has been painful.
BEN SYKES: What happens if that didn't turn
out that way for him or for me?
What happens if my family, you know,
lost a husband and a father?
At that moment, every second counted.
AHMAR KHAN: Saving a man in a heroic rescue
has reshaped how Sykes looks at life.
BEN SYKES: It's a gift.
You know, you appreciate what you have.
AHMAR KHAN: Sykes and three others
have been recommended for the Fire Chief Commendation
Award for their bravery.
Ahmar Khan, Global News.