Luke Hirst may be just 19 - but he showed courage under fire as he battled flames and billowing smoke in an effort to save a mantrapped in his burning Auckland house.
Mr Hirst crawled on his hands and knees through the Red Beach Rd house in the early hours
of Saturday morning with just his T-shirt over his mouth, trying to rescue the 30-year-old man, who was trapped in his bedroom.
However, the intensity of the fire that had engulfed the man's bedroom proved too much, thwarting Mr Hirst's efforts.
He made a quick dash to safety, but the 30-year-old man was not so lucky. He sustained burns to 25 per cent of his body and was dragged out unconscious by Silverdale volunteer firefighters just after 1.30am. Last night he was in a serious condition in Middlemore Hospital.
His mother, the other occupant of the house, was taken to North Shore Hospital with moderate burns and was later released.
She had raised the alarm after the fire, believed to have been started by a cigarette, took hold.
Mr Hirst said he rushed to the property after he heard a woman's cries for help. She had tried to help her son escape, but theflames were intense.
"I had just pulled up at my mate's place and I heard, 'Help, help, help', and there was a lady at the front door of the house," he said. "She was crying out for help and saying that there was someone inside.
"When I got to the end room I thought I'd better not open the door, so Ikicked it in and I saw the smoke just come up.
"I tried to get him, but the smoke was thick and I couldn't see."
Silverdale fire brigade station officer Callan Carn-Bennett said the man suffered full thickness burns to his hands and superficial burns to other parts of his body.
Luckily, he said, the fire was confined to the man's bedroom.
The property had a smoke alarm, but it did not go off.
