Garda hailed a hero as elderly man rescued from house fire

A GARDA was last night hailed a hero after he saved the life of a 79-year-old man trapped in a house fire.

Garda Roger O’Donoghue, from Newcastlewest Garda Station in Co Limerick, dragged the pensioner to safety through a window of his burning cottage on the Barna side of Newcastlewest at 5am yesterday morning.

Originally from Yorkshire in England, John Wray was living alone and was asleep in his downstairs bedroom when a fire started in the kitchen.

The 79-year-old managed to telephone for help but did not give an exact location of his house.

“The fire-brigade contacted us and we headed in the general direction but it was pitch dark and only for the wind blowing the smoke across the road, I might not have found the house in time,” explained Garda O’Donoghue.

“I stopped the car and I heard someone shouting for help. The house was hidden behind some bushes but when I shined my torch I saw the man inside the house pressed up against the window. He had broken some of the glass and was getting air through the hole in the window and I think that’s what saved him,” he added.

Garda O’Donoghue then broke the rest of the window and lifted the pensioner through the window.

He was assisted by Garda John Finn, also from Newcastlewest Garda Station.

“Mr Wray was very shocked and had a cut on his head but the ambulance arrived quickly and he was taken to Limerick Regional Hospital.

“Every minute mattered and it was just pure luck that we got there on time. I rang the hospital later on and they said he’s going to be fine,” said Garda O’Donoghue.

Fire station officer Tommy Quaid last night said Mr Wray was lucky to be alive.

“He was gasping for breath and we gave him oxygen, he was a lucky man as the house was gutted.”

Meanwhile, an elderly woman in a wheelchair had to be evacuated from an adjoining semi-detached cottage after firemen from Newcastlewest and Rathkeale prevented the fire from spreading into her home.