Good Person/Hero of the Week: Wales Teenager Rescues Woman from Burning House

 This week's Good Person of the Week is a teenager in Wales, who saw a house on fire and fearlessly ran inside and rescued an elderly woman! 

(Photo: MARCUS EVANS

image captionMum Clare Evans was Marcus's inspiration for his heroic act

Neath Port Talbot's Marcus Evans saves woman from burning house 

BBC NEWS, Wales May 10, 2021

A teenager dashed into a burning house to rescue an elderly woman after hearing her cries for help. Marcus Evans acted after seeing a police support officer outside the house which had smoke pouring from it.

He twice ran inside the house in Baglan, Neath Port Talbot, before he was able to lift the unconscious woman to safety.

Marcus, whose own mother died from cancer, said he was motivated by not wanting anyone to suffer such a loss. The 19-year-old, who lives in Baglan, told BBC Wales: "I was coming back from the shops when I saw a PCSO on the phone outside a house. "There was smoke coming out of the chimney and the side of the house. I went over and I could hear the woman inside."

The officer managed to kick the door open and went in but was overcome by the thick smoke and had to retreat. However, Marcus did not hesitate to go in but on his first attempt he was also beaten back by the smoke.

Even though there were flames nearby and the heat was overwhelming, he went back in. "When I was in there I could see nothing, it was just pitch black," he said. "I could just see the glowing from the flames. The heat in there - I've never been in somewhere so hot. It was boiling." This time, Marcus was able to find the 79-year-old woman at the back of the house.

"She was unconscious by the time I got there," Marcus said. "I picked her up and carried her out the back door." "I just laid her down and tried to make sure she was alright."

The woman was later taken to Morriston Hospital, where she was placed in an induced coma because of her injuries following the fire on Thursday.

Marcus fortunately did not need any treatment as he was "completely fine". "[But] I was in shock for a while. I couldn't believe what had just happened," he admitted. "One minute I was in the shop, the next minute I was pulling someone out of a burning building."

Marcus has received lots of praise locally for his actions, his family said Memories of losing his own mother Clare two years ago, had made him determined to prevent another family going through the same thing, he explained.