Audlem firefighters honoured for dramatic rescue

(The website link that was here no longer works) Members of Audlem's Retained Fire Crew have been honoured at the Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service's annual awards for their dramatic rescue of a women trapped by a fire last year.

A Fire Services spokesman said: "In the early hours of March 9th, there was a call to a flat fire in the village (it was the fire above Beaman's shop). When they arrived a woman was hanging out of a first floor window, obviously in distress and surrounded by thick smoke. The window, which was her only means of escape, was not large enough for her to pass through. A ladder was erected and a member of the team had to open the window with a saw and then an axe."

"Whilst this was going on, a member of the public told the crew there was a fire in the adjacent alley which looked like spreading to nearby houses. This fire involved gas cylinders and flames were shooting up to the gable end of the properties. The crew cooled the cylinders with hose reel jets to prevent them exploding. Meanwhile, the casualty was receiving oxygen and, with the window frame finally removed, was brought down the ladder to the waiting paramedics."

Crew members who received the award were sub-officer David Roberts; leading firefighter Gill Dimelow, and firefighters David Smith, Steven Fellows and Shane Thomson.

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