Limerick man Dermot Kelly (52) has been hailed a hero after saving his partner Brigid Dillon from a burning house last night.
Brigid (44) had fallen asleep on the couch in her sitting room when a Christmas candle fell on top of her and started the blaze.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, Dermot said: “I just did what anyone would do in the same situation.”
“The officer with the fire service said if she was in there another five minute she was gone. There was too much smoke.”
“I brought her out unconscious. She was a dead weight. I couldn’t find her at first. The smoke was too bad. I had to come back out, take another deep breath and go back in. I practically fell over her in the corner of the room. I think she was trying to get into the kitchen.”
Dermot added: “When I went in the whole place was on fire. I couldn’t see anything at all, it was like snow. I was calling out her name and I got no reply.”
“It was a candle, as far as a I know, down on top of a blanket in the sitting room. She must have fallen asleep on the couch and the blanket went on fire. The smoke took her over. She wasn’t waking up when I got there.”
Dermot also praised Brigid’s neighbour, Stacey who raised the alarm.
According to reports, Brigid sustained smoke damage to her lungs but is thought to be in a stable condition.
