Firefighters praise woman who saved her neighbour’s life
Published: November 16, 2006
A PENSIONER who saved her blind neighbour’s life by calling firefighters to his smoke-filled flat is to be formally commended for her actions.
Michael Sealey, aged 55, was trapped in his flat when Christine Hill heard his smoke alarm. [Get one now
The 70-year-old, who lives in the same block in Wellington Close, off St Paul’s Street in Worcester, rushed to Mr Sealey’s aid, but was unable to get a response when she knocked on his door so alerted the fire brigade.
Firefighters forced their way into the building and rescued Mr Sealey, who was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.
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Mrs Hill said she was surprised to hear she was to receive a commendation.
“It was just a shock,” she said. “If it was anybody else, I would do it for them.”
She described Saturday’s dramatic events, which took place at about 11.20am.
“I went round to his front room window - it was black and I couldn’t see anything at all,” she said.
“I asked my neighbour Gordon to come round and he held his hand through the letterbox.
“He had managed to walk along the side of the wall to the door, and we kept telling him to try to open it, but he couldn’t.
“The smoke was so thick you couldn’t see through it.”
Alec Mackie, spokesman for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said: “We have very little doubt that had Mrs Hill not heard the working smoke alarm going off, then Mr Sealey would have had little chance of surviving, due to the volume of dense smoke.
“We would like to publically thank Mrs Hill for her actions in raising the alarm, as without this the outcome would probably have been quite different.”
Mr Mackie said the rescue highlighted how working smoke alarms do save lives.
He said: “We would urge everyone to take note and ensure that they have one in their home. Check it regularly and make sure it works.”
Mr Sealey was thought to still be in hospital when the Worcester News went to press.
The fire is thought to have started when a microwave on top of a cooker melted.
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