Fifteen firefighters have been recognised for saving the life of one of their colleagues who collapsed while battling a fire at Nowra, on the state’s South Coast.
FRNSW crews from the Berry, Nowra and Shoalhaven (South Nowra) fire stations were called to a house on Antares Close which was engulfed in flames, on 15 February 2022.
As heavy black smoke filled the property, Senior Firefighter Peter Bugden raised the alarm that a fellow firefighter had collapsed inside.
Station Officer Sean Doohan rushed into help, kicking in the lower part of a door and crawling in to reach his colleague in trouble.
He grabbed him by his legs and carried him out with the assistance of Senior Firefighter Bugden and Senior Firefighter Ben Ingle.
Between them, the three rescuers applied CPR and a defibrillator to the downed firefighter, with their care and concern continuing during his time recovering in hospital and at home.
Despite the distressing scenes, the other crews on scene remained focused on extinguishing the fire and minimising the impact to the community.
