A ‘hero’ mechanic saved a mother-of-one’s life after smashing his way into her burning house and carrying her to safety.
Christopher Porcheret, 28, saw the flames and smoke billowing out of the property from his nearby flat and kicked down a wooden gate and the back door to reach the house in Milton, Stoke.
He then smashed the back door before discovering Simone Bailey unconscious on the floor on December 28 last year at 10pm.
Simone Bailey was unconscious after a fire broke out at her home in Milton, Stoke, last year
She was saved by Christopher Porcheret, 28, who was handed a certificate from The Society for the Protection of Life from Fire. He is pictured with Chief Constable Gareth Morgan
Mr Porcheret, who now lives in Leek, said: ‘I could see smoke and then heard a woman screaming for help.
‘I couldn’t get into the front of the property because it was a fireball. The guttering was melting, the front door was melting and the front windows had been smashed out.
‘She was lying on the floor downstairs unconscious. The house was really hot – it felt like the air was on fire. You struggled to breathe and see because of the smoke.
‘I picked her up and carried her to the front of the property and put her in the recovery position.
‘I’m so happy she made a full recovery. The emergency services said that if we had waited for them to arrive she would have certainly died in the fire.
‘To know I have saved someone’s life makes me happy because her little lad still has his mum. I heard the screams and just instinctively went in the house. I wasn’t thinking about my own life at that point – I just wanted to get her out.’
Ms Bailey was asleep on her sofa when the fire was sparked by an electrical fault.
Her eight-year-old son, Vinny Cormack, was staying with his grandparents at the time.
Mr Porcheret, who now lives in Leek, said: ‘I could see smoke and then heard a woman screaming for help’
He added: ‘I kicked a wooden gate through that led to the back of the property and then kicked the back door in’
The 32-year-old crawled into the kitchen before passing out.
She said: ‘I suffered smoke inhalation so I can’t really remember much of what happened. I had just fallen asleep on the sofa and woke up with the smoke alarms going off and I just remember not being able to see anything because of the smoke. I was struggling to breath and just passed out.’
Ms Bailey was re-housed in a flat before finally returning to her home in August.
She added: ‘Even now I smell smoke even though there is nothing there. But this is my house and I love it and don’t want to leave. I am so grateful to Chris and all of the neighbours – Mark Ward, Dave Wild, Lee Barber and James Price – for what they did.’
Mr Ward’s wife Katie, 33, said: ‘Mark is a light sleeper and he heard the smoke alarms going off and I remember him shouting: “Simone’s house is on fire!”‘
Staffordshire Police have presented Mr Porcheret with a certificate from The Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.
Ms Bailey was re-housed in a flat before finally returning to her home in August this year
Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said: ‘It is clear that had Mr Porcheret waited for the emergency services she would most certainly have died in that fire.
‘The first police officer on the scene said the house was completely engulfed with flames billowing out of the windows and reaching as high as the roof. It was the worst house fire they had ever seen. Mr Porcheret’s actions were nothing short of brave and heroic.’
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has praised Mr Porcheret’s bravery -but also advised people not to go into burning buildings.
Director of Response Tim Hyde said: ‘This man’s bravery is to be commended. The fire was well established when he made the decision to help the resident. There is a good chance that the lady would have died in this blaze if it wasn’t for Mr Porcheret’s actions.
‘We always urge residents not to go into burning buildings and to leave it to the fire service. ‘However it is right to recognise the courage it took for this man to go in and save this woman’s life and we’re happy to see him being rewarded for his bravery.’