Washington State: 31-year-old Eduard Burceag from Romania has preserved the lives of his wife and a close friend by lying over the top of them in a trench after the trio were caught in the open on Mount Rainier in a blizzard.
Despite what one National Park Service ranger described as the worst blizzard he had ever seen and 110km/h winds, Burceag refused to trade places. His actions saved the lives of both his companions but rescuers were unable to revive him.
Burceag's brother was unsurprised by his heroics, saying: "I'm sure he would do that. He knew very well that his children needed a lot of their mother and that was the main thing in his life."
