Heroes drag man, 73, from blaze
Published: January 24, 2007
A heroic neighbour dragged a pensioner to safety after the 73-year-old threw himself from a first floor window as 20ft flames engulfed his home.
Builder Larry Limpus, 56, and two unknown good Samaritans, had to dodge glass and tiles falling from the house in Rodmell Avenue, Saltdean, yesterday afternoon as they carried retired maths teacher Malcolm Everett clear.
The inferno blazed for more than an hour, gutting the first floor and roof of the house.
Mr Limpus, who lives opposite, said: “If we had been a couple of minutes later we’d have been in real trouble. It was a huge fire, there were explosions going everywhere.”
Mr Limpus said he spotted smoke coming from Mr Everett’s house at 4.15pm. He went to investigate while his son Peter, 25, phoned the emergency services.
As he banged on the door he heard moans coming from the back garden and went down the side path with another man who had been driving past and stopped to help.
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They found Mr Everett lying on the patio, struggling to breathe and seemingly in shock. Mr Limpus said: “He was only dressed in a jumper, underpants and socks. I think he must have been sleeping when it went up.”
They carried him into a van belonging to a third man who had arrived. Mr Limpus said: “He’s quite a big man, so it wasn’t easy.”
Paramedics and an ambulance arrived shortly afterwards, followed by six fire engines.
Mr Everett, who lived alone, was given oxygen before being taken to Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Doctors last night said his condition was critical.
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