A young couple have been hailed as “heroes” after alerting firefighters to a blaze that engulfed the home of a elderly husband and wife who were inside the property at the time, writes David Raleigh.
The fire swept through the home of Aidan and Bríd O’Connor in Coonagh, Co Limerick, around 10.30pm last night.
Mr O’Connor, 76, was discovered lying face down in a hallway inside the converted cottage.
He was pulled unconscious from the burning house by firefighters who brought him round after he received oxygen from the emergency first responders.
Mr O’Connor was brought by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where he was been treated in the Intensive Care Unit. Sources said he was in a serious but stable condition.
Bríd O’Connor, also on her 70s, and who was rescued from the fire by neighbours, was also brought to hospital but her injuries are not thought to be serious.
Locals said if it wasn’t for the intervention of Saphron Werfelli and her boyfriend Brian Shortan, the elderly couple may have died in the fire.
Ms Werfelli, 23, a business and marketing graduate, and Mr Shortan, 25, an electrician, had been visiting Ms Werfelli’s grand uncle Paddy Enright when they saw smoke billowing out of the O’Connor’s home located next door.
“They had left Paddy’s house a few minutes and then returned only because they left a mobile phone behind. If they hadn’t had come back when they did the outcome could have been very different,” said a family spokesperson.
Mr Enright, 81, said his grandniece and Mr Shortan were “heroes”.
“If they hadn’t phoned 999 Aiden could have died. They saved him,” Mr Enright said.
“They both ran next door but the house went up in flames in a split second. Everything happened in a flash.”
He described Mr and Mrs O’Connor as “great neighbours”.
“It’s Bríd’s family home, the house must be well over 100 years old. They did it up recently.”
“I feel so sorry for them. It’s tough on them,” he added.
Neighbours prayed on the side of the road as Mr Shortan kicked in the front door of the burning cottage to try to rescue Mr O’Connor.
Meanwhile Ms Werfelli had ran to the rear of the house along with another neighbour and pulled Ms O’Connor to safety.
“Brian spotted smoke coming out of a window,” said a family source.
“He could hear someone inside. He smashed the window and broke down the front door but the heat was too intense for him to go in.
“He tried to get in but he would have been overcome by the smoke and flames.”
“There were loud explosions coming from inside as the fire swept through the house. They are both heroes it they don’t want to talk, they’re too traumatised and they don’t want any glory. It was a good thing Saphron forgot her phone,” the source added.
Three units from Limerick City and County Fire Service raced to the scene.
An investigation is continuing into the cause of the blaze however initial indications are that the fire was started by a faulty electric blanket which had been switched on in a front downstairs bedroom.
Much of the downstairs of the home was completely destroyed and the rest of the property badly damaged by smoke.
“A call came into Limerick city fire and rescue service that a house was on fire with a person trapped inside. Three units were dispatched to the scene. On arrival the fire service found the house to be well alight with neighbours confirming that there was a man trapped inside,” said a source in the emergency services.
Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the house to search for the man and he “was quickly located unconscious on the floor of the house”.
“It looked like (the man) had been trying to escape the fire when he was probably overcome by the smoke. He did intake a lot of smoke,” the emergency services source added.
Firefighters had arrived back to their base on Mulgrave Street shortly after putting out a industrial fire at a furniture store in Annacotty when they were alerted to the house fire.
“Crews had returned about half an hour from having fought a large enough fire in Annacotty. It first looked like that could have be an all nighter but luckily the fire was put out after an hour. If all of the Limerick fire crews had been at that they may not have made it to the house fire as quickly as they did,” the source continued.
“There is someone looking after that man who was rescued because he was lucky the firefighters arrived when they did. If they were delayed two or three minutes he may have died.”
Busy night! Crews mobilised to "Persons Reported" Domestic Fire in Coonagh. BA crews rescued occupant. Condition serious but stable.
— Limerick Fire (@LimerickFire) November 20, 2016
The unconscious man was carried out of the house by firefighters and given oxygen before he regained consciousness at the scene.
“He was treated on scene by paramedics and removed to hospital,” the source added.
“His condition is believed to be serious but stable,” they added.
