A LORRY driver has revealed how he managed to use his truck to rescue a man from a burning 4-storey building in Dublin.
Tomasz Zereba was delivering groceries for Eurospar when he drove onto Granby Row on Monday, where he saw thick plumes of smoke pouring out from the property.
In a video posted to social media, the person can be heard shouting from his window, located above the Golden Thai Antique Massage parlour.
He frantically screams “let me out” as horrified passersby gathered below the burning building.
In a statement issued through his employer for RTE News, he said: “I saw the flames coming up from the window and one guy was lying on the footpath.
“He had blood on his face and I think he might have broken both his legs when he jumped from the building.
“Another guy was screaming from the window. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do because he had flames behind him, and the long drop below him.”
Tomasz decided to provide his truck as a means of escape for the man, hoping it would safely break his fall.
He was seen reversing up as close as possible to the building, allowing the trapped man to jump out and safely land on the trailer.
And the pedestrians on the street helped him move the lorry in towards the trapped man.
Taking a leap of faith through the smoke, the man – wearing a black hood and trousers – then jumps several metres onto the roof of the truck.
An audible thud can be heard as he successfully lands on the trailer in the video.
He added: “I just thought it would be much safer for him to jump on the lorry instead of the footpath.
“I reversed the lorry as close as I safely could to the window and the other lads from the footpath told him to jump on the roof of the lorry. He was ok, I think.
“I asked him how many people were in the building, but he didn’t know because he was in shock. I waited in case maybe somebody else would need to jump from the window.
“After a while, I pulled the lorry to a safe place and waited for the fire brigade.
“I waited another 20 minutes because the road was blocked and then the fireman came over and said ‘grand job buddy, thanks for that’ and I went on to finish my deliveries for the day.”
‘INCREDIBLY BRAVE INTERVENTION’
Talking to the Irish Independent, logistics director of BWG Foods, Joanne Mellon, said: “We want to commend Tomasz for his quick thinking to help this person escape from the burning building.
“It was an incredibly brave intervention, with the assistance of others who were in the area, in what must have been a very frightening experience.
“We hope those who were caught up in the incident make a full recovery.”
Dublin Fire Brigade confirmed that three people were rushed to St James’ Hospital for treatment for injuries after the fire, and seven people were treated at the scene.
Six fire engines, including a turntable ladder and emergency tender, attended the blaze and it was soon brought under control.
Breathing apparatus teams were also committed to fight and extinguish the fire.
Pictures of the aftermath showed the charred building had been gutted by the fire.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.