After saving a neighbor in a wheelchair from fire, an Army veteran aged 86 is hailed a hero

After saving a neighbor from a fire, an 86-year-old war vet was hailed as a hero. But his wife calls him an “idiot”.

John Pratt, an osteoarthritis patient, saw smoke coming out of the front door and windows at his neighbor’s home in Sandgate, Kent. He went to help.

He ran into the house to rescue the woman and got her out of the building.

“Smoke was coming from her front door, and I could see her in her wheelchair in the middle of the room on the phone to the firefighters with flames around her,” Mr. Pratt said.

“I’m not sure how I can do it, as I’m not very stable on my feet. But I held my breathe, got in and pulled her across the door into the open.

“Then I collapsed on a front lawn bench. I wasn’t scared, I couldn’t be scared, I just knew I had to do something.”

It must have been adrenaline

He claimed his wife said he was “a fool”, but I told his wife that if I were him, I would have done exactly the same. I know she would.

It took firefighters over two hours to put out Friday’s flames. Mr. Pratt and officers took the female neighbor (who was in her 70s) to his kitchen. She received emergency treatment for smoke inhalation by paramedics.

They told Mr. Pratt his bravery “undoubtedly”, saved his neighbour’s lives.

He added, “I knew I wouldn’t forgive myself if I did nothing and let her burn. I don’t know how she did it – it must have been a rush of adrenaline.”

Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson stated that they provided first aid to anyone experiencing symptoms of smoke inhalation before transferring them to the care of paramedics.

“Our volunteer response team also attended and provided support to the affected resident.”