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Hero dad helps to drag man to safety

21/ 5/2008

TRIBUTES have been paid to an ailing grandfather who helped drag a man suffering an epileptic seizure from his smoke-filled house.

Angina sufferer Ilyas Ahmed, 50, had just picked his children up from school last Thursday when he saw thick smoke pouring from a house in Portland Street, Accring-ton.

When he arrived at the house the front door was open and Mr Ahmed leaped into action. He helped a woman passer-by to lift the man, who had dropped a cigarette in his front room, to the safety of the street.

The woman, who luckily happened to be a nurse, alerted the Fire Brigade and an ambulance.

After recovering consciousness and receiving treatment, the 39-year-old man, who wished to remain anonymous, returned home the same evening, and he was quick to thank Mr Ahmed for his lifesaving actions.

He said: "I do have problems with my epilepsy and when I fit it lasts for about 20 minutes. Mr Ahmed saw the smoke and dragged me out of the house. He saved my life."

Mr Ahmed said: "I could see smoke coming out through the windows and doors. I ran up the street and the lady said could you come and pull him out.

"Obviously the guy was in danger and that’s why I pulled him out."

His daughter Saima, 18, said: "We are very proud of him. We know the gentleman and every day when he sees us he says thank you for saving his life."

Fire crews were on the scene for over an hour and used a hosereel, four breathing apparatus, a thermal imaging camera and ventilation unit, restricting the worst of the fire damage to carpets, a scorched tumble dryer and a pair of slippers.

They also helped treat the victim until paramedics arrived and they replaced two faulty smoke alarms.

Watch manager Keith Cunliffe said: "When we arrived there was a man in the street being attended to by what looked like a district nurse.

"When the ambulance arrived he was just coming to. It was a good team effort."