Ludovic Alard, Lot firefighters, allowed a seriously injured young woman to survive a terrible road accident last October. This Sunday, April 19, he was congratulated at the Cahors fire brigade for having saved his life while he was not on duty.
“We are trained for that. It goes beyond the uniform,” simply explains Ludovic Alard, Lot firefighter. The look is still full of emotion when Ludovic Alard meets, this Sunday, April 19, Camille Guidoux for the first time since that evening in October 2025. That day, the 27th, on the A20 near the town of Lamagdelaine, in the Lot, this 29-year-old volunteer firefighter was not on duty. However, his rapid intervention saved the life of the 30-year-old young woman. Today, a ceremony was organized in his honor, he received a letter of congratulations from Colonel Jean-François Galtié for his exemplary commitment.
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On October 27, 2025, at the end of the day, a heavy goods vehicle violently collided with a car stopped on the emergency lane. Under the force of the impact, the vehicle was thrown onto the highway. A few minutes later, Ludovic Alard arrived on the scene, by chance, as he returned from work. Without hesitation, he stops.
Without this intervention… she probably would not have survived
On site, the situation is confusing and dangerous. He first inspected the damaged vehicle, without finding any victims, only two dogs still alive. Alerted by the driver of the truck, he finally discovered Camille below, seriously injured. Standing but haggard, she quickly collapses. Ludovic immediately provided the first aid measures, controlled a significant hemorrhage in the thigh and alerted the emergency services. He will stay with her until their arrival. Without this intervention, doctors believe she probably would not have survived.
For Camille Guidoux, the meeting during this ceremony is a strong moment. “I was a little stressed, I’m not used to it, but I’m happy to finally be able to put a face to a first name and to the one who saved me,” she confides. Seriously injured, head trauma, multiple fractures, internal damage, she has just come out of several months of hospitalization and rehabilitation in Toulouse. “I was told that I was miraculous. In my misfortune, I was very lucky. He was there at the right time,” she adds.
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Since the accident, they had never seen each other again. This first meeting is full of emotion for the volunteer firefighter. “It feels good to have feedback. It’s rewarding. And it gives meaning to our commitment,” he emphasizes. Seeing Camille standing today represents the greatest recognition for him.
“A simple, but essential gesture, that of a trained citizen who did not look away”
Beyond the individual act, this ceremony also recalled the importance of the chain of aid. Twelve firefighters were mobilized that evening to take over and ensure the victim’s care until the hospital. But this first, decisive link remains that of Ludovic Alard.
By saluting his courage and his composure, the Departmental Fire and Rescue Service of Lot wanted to highlight “a simple, but essential gesture, that of a trained citizen who did not look away,” recalls Colonel Jean François Galtier. For Camille, the words remain in emotion, “I especially want to say thank you to him for saving my life.”
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