A hotel manager has told reporters of the dramatic moment he helped save an elderly couple from a burning inferno at a gas station.
The heroic moment Ivan Smith, who works at Abbotsleigh Motor Inn in northern NSW, dragged one of the motorists away from the flames as thick black smoke was seen rising metres into the sky was captured on a camera phone.
‘I heard the wheels squeal… the driver was moving pretty fast into the petrol station,’ Mr Smith told Daily Mail Australia.
‘When the car hit that pole next to the bowser, there was a large bang. The fire guys heard the bang, I would say about 50 meters away.’
Without another thought Mr Smith ran across to help and yelled over his shoulder to stepdaughter Chloe, who is heard yelling frantically asking him to be careful as she filmed, to get a fire extinguisher.
Community members have now called for the trio of heroes to be recognized with bravery awards.
‘A great display of love and chivalry under intense pressure by the driver but hopefully the rescuers get at least a nomination for bravery,’ one man wrote on Facebook underneath the video.
‘Whilst in hindsight and with our knowledge it wasn’t as dangerous as it appeared, they weren’t to know that.’
The road the petrol station was on, Barney Street, was closed for about an hour following the incident as firefighters brought the blaze under control, the Armidale Express has reported.
One of the firefighters who arrived on the scene a short time later said the couple were in ‘reasonable shape’ when they were taken to hospital.
