His big heart saved others but it was what eventually killed him.
A volunteer fireman who died of a heart attack at the height of Typhoon “Pedring” was honored Monday by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.
John Murphy Dantic Corre, a 32-year-old member of the Chinese-Filipino volunteer fire brigade based in the city, was among those who helped move Ospital ng Maynila patients to the upper floors when the waters of Manila Bay submerged the ground floor of the hospital on the morning of September 28.
But the physical exertion apparently took a toll on him. At around 4 p.m. that same day, Corre suffered a heart attack while on his way to respond to a fire in Quezon City.
His fellow volunteers administered first aid and rushed him to the nearest hospital but despite their efforts, they failed to save him.
At Monday’s flag-raising ceremony at city hall, Lim presented a plaque of recognition to Corre’s wife, Victoria, and to George Go Pen Siong, president emeritus of the Association of Volunteer Fire Chiefs and Fire Fighters of the Philippines Inc.
“May the late John Murphy Dantic Corre’s exemplary heroism and selflessness inspire us all,” said Lim who promised to provide scholarships for the fire volunteer’s four children.