Saved by dog and a brave policeman
Published: January 12, 2005
A Flinders Island man whose house caught fire owes his life to his dog and a brave Tasmania Police officer.
Graeme Jones, 45, of Whitemark, was woken by his black labrador, Louie, late Tuesday night and found his lounge room was on fire.
“I was terrified,” Mr Jones said.
Police officer Fergus Cameron, summoned by a 000 call, ran into Mr Jones’s burning home and rescued him.
“I was trying to put the fire out but wasn’t succeeding and was overcome by smoke,” Mr Jones said. “Fergus arrived in the nick of time and pushed me out of the house.
“Then he got to work on the fire and did a terrific job, running back and forth with a bucket until the fire brigade arrived.”
Sgt Cameron had to make do with a bucket as there were no water mains in the area. Police said his valiant effort kept the fire under control until the fire brigade arrived.
Northern District Divisional Insp Andrew Fogarty commended Sgt Ferguson’s actions.
“Had Sgt Ferguson not responded in the time and manner in which he did, the house would have been fully engulfed in fire and we may well have had a fatality,” Insp Fogarty said.
Mr Jones said about a third of his three-bedroom, timber house had been damaged by the fire. The property was salvageable, he said, but he was now staying with friends.
Sgt Cameron was admitted to Whitemark Hospital suffering significant smoke inhalation but was discharged shortly after.
Mr Jones said Sgt Cameron had since left the island.
“I’ve already thanked him quite a few times but I’m looking forward to him coming back so I can say thanks again,” he said.
Police said the cause of the fire was not suspicious and it was believed to have been started by an electrical fault.
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