Blaze hero honoured for courage
Published: November 2, 2006
A County Tyrone man who braved smoke and flames to rescue his neighbour from a burning house has been honoured for his bravery at a London ceremony.
Martin Speer, 32, from Killen, received the Vodafone Life Savers Award and also met Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Mr Speer dragged unconscious neighbour Lorraine Sproule from her burning home.
He received his trophy in front of a 300-strong star-studded audience including TV presenter Myleene Klass, and Falklands veteran Simon Weston.
He met Mr Blair at a Downing Street reception to congratulate all the winners on Thursday morning.
When fire broke out in a house on Main Street, Killen in the early hours the alarm was raised by two occupants who managed to escape through an upstairs window.
The pair had been asleep and woke to find their bedroom filled with thick black smoke.
Although disorientated, they climbed through the window and jumped to the ground, dialled 999 and roused neighbours.
Alerted to the incident by his mother, Mr Speer who lives opposite, realised that another occupant of the house, Lorraine Sproule, was still inside.
The house was already engulfed in choking smoke and a fire could be seen burning in the kitchen.
The emergency services had been called, but Mr Speer knew every second counted for the woman trapped inside.
Smoke inhalation
The smoke obscured his view into the downstairs rooms and he smashed doors and windows in an effort to find her.
As smoke poured out, he shouted her name and eventually located her lying on the living room floor.
Martin raced into the house, feeling his way through the impenetrable smoke and actually going through the kitchen where the fire had started to get to his neighbour.
Lorraine Sproule was suffering badly from smoke inhalation and Martin had to pull her back the way he had come, through the burning kitchen, before they could reach the safety of the back garden.
Nick Read, Vodafone UK’s chief executive Officer, praised his bravery.
“However, what makes this story even more incredible is that Martin is just an ordinary individual who inadvertently found himself in an extraordinary situation - and had to make a split decision that made the difference between life and death,” he said.
“His brave actions were instrumental in saving Lorraine Sproule’s life that day.”
The Life Savers awards were launched in April by Vodafone UK to uncover unsung heroes in our emergency services as well as members of the public who have saved a life in extraordinary circumstances.
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