Two officers hailed as heroes for saving elderly man from a fire

Published: August 30, 2006 | 4678th good news item since 2003

Two OPP officers are being hailed as heroes for saving an elderly Mitchell man from a fire Sunday morning.

Shortly after 8 a.m., a man went to the West Perth OPP detachment to report smoke coming from an apartment building at 55 Ontario Rd. in Mitchell.

When police arrived at the building, they found fire alarms sounding and people leaving the building, but police went in to check if everyone had been evacuated safely.

Two officers found an 89-year-old man inside one of the units on the smoke-filled second floor. He was deaf and couldn’t hear the fire alarm. Although the apartment was also filled with smoke, the man didn’t require medical treatment.

Constables Alison Shaw and John Vanderaa were taken to Stratford General Hospital, where they were treated for smoke inhalation and released. Police say they’ll be recommended for an award.

The occupants of one second-floor apartment told police the fire started in their unit. A 32-year-old Brampton man visiting that unit suffered a minor burn, which paramedics treated at the scene.

Damage was contained to one bedroom and was minimal, police say. A candle caused the blaze.

Published in Heroes and Rescues
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