HEROIC AMBULANCE DRIVER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 287, 21 September 1950, Page 5

HEROIC AMBULANCE DRIVER

MEN SAVED FROM BURNING BUILDING (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 20. An ambulance driver rushed into a burning building in Ponsonby . this morning ;and rescued two men lying near the centre of a fire which started minutes before. The men’s clothes and hair were,, burning. The rescuer, Mr B. Wearns, wrapped blankets about himself for protection and then rolled each of the men in one and carried them from the building. The injured men are now in the Auckland Hospital suffering severe burns to the face and head. They are: Patrick O’Dowd, aged 36, company director, 15 St. Georges Bay Road, Parnell. His conditions is serious. William Frederick Malcolm, aged 33, engineer, 23 Corbett Street, Epsom, His condition is fairly serious.

The fire broke out 'at Pressure Diecasters, Ltd., 11 Hopetoun Street, Ponsonby. The cause of the fire, which started with explosive suddenness, was the bursting of an oil pipe feeding a furnace. The oil sprayed over both men. When the fire started about the furnace, other workmen ran in confusion to the street. One rang the Auckland ambulance and another broke the fire alarm box. Mearns arrived before the fire brigade and asked bystanders where the injured men were. He was told that they were still in the building and immediately rushed to their rescue. After he had brought them out he was helped in getting them on to stretchers and into the ambulance. Two machines from the Central Fire Station and one from the Western Districts Station soon arrived and had no trouble getting the blaze out. The damage was not severe.