Fireball rescue
Published: August 22, 2007
Australia — AN Innisfail man has been hailed a hero after rescuing a 21-year-old driver from a burning car and dowsing a fireball threatening to engulf the Innisfail Mobil service station.
The driver – Luke Plant, of Innisfail – was flown to Brisbane in a stable but dangerously ill condition with burns to his face and body, after the car he was driving careered at high speeds through a petrol bowser.
He was plucked out of the car by bystander Warwick Jensen who used a fire extinguisher to beat down the flames surrounding the car and then smother a 3m fireball shooting out from where the bowser had been pulled from the ground.
It is believed that Mr Plant may have had an epileptic seizure before the incident.
Mr Plant’s aunt said yesterday the accident was a cruel blow to the promising young man, who last week had been informed of
a promotion at his workplace, Innisfail’s Supercheap Auto.
The high-achiever had also recently been nominated for an award with the Innisfail Chamber of Commerce.
Yesterday’s drama unfolded about 7.15am when Mr Plant’s car veered across Edith St and burst into flames, after it ripped a petrol bowser out of the ground.
Mobil Innisfail owner George Viellaris said Mr Plant was “flying” by the time he hit the bowser and it was only the quick thinking and courage of mate Warwick Jensen that averted a disaster.
Mr Jensen grabbed a fire extinguisher and doused 3m flames burning at the base of the damaged bowser and Mr Plant’s car.
“My main thought was that the whole place was going to blow,” he said.
“Warwick put out the flames at the bowser and the flames on the car and then he helped the man out. He was smouldering and his face looked like it had melted.”
It took five minutes to release Mr Plant in a situation fire crews have described as “potentially disastrous” but Mr Jensen refuses to accept he was a hero.
“I was frightened the place was going to blow but I really didnt think about it,” Mr Jensen said.
“I just did what had to be done.”
Innisfail acting station officer Tai Moore said yesterday there was no question Mr Jensen was a hero.
“If it was not for his quick actions, the situation could have been a whole lot worse,” he said.
“The risk was low but there was the potential for the petrol station to have blown up.
“In what was a dangerous situation, he was cool, calm and collected.”
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