A boy’s ear for danger saved an elderly neighbour’s life. It was 10.30pm at night when 12-year-old Seth Ball heard a beeping noise coming from next door, which woke him from his sleep.
He alerted his parents but neither of them could hear anything. Seth insisted he could hear the faint noise and his mum and dad got out bed.
In the house next door to Seth’s home in St Mary’s Avenue, Denton was a 94-year-old lady who was living alone. Seth’s parents couldn’t get an answer next door so called 999 and firefighters raced to the property. They also called Maureen’s daughter who has a key. In a vain attempt to alert the woman they banged on the doors and windows but got no reply.
When fire crews arrived they gained entry to the house and found the lady unconscious on the kitchen floor. There was a fire in the kitchen and the house had filled with smoke. She was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital.
Seth’s quick thinking, persistence and his determination to do the right thing alerted the adults in his house that something was seriously wrong next door. By acting so quickly, fire crews were able to attend in time to perform a successful rescue. Because of his actions his neighbour was saved.
Yesterday Seth was presented with a commendation medal from Greater Manchester’s Chief Fire Officer, Dave Russel to recognise his actions on the night of the fire in March this year.
Hyde Station Manager, Martin Cain, said: “We were able to save the lady from the fire because of the quick thinking and decisive actions of Seth. If we’d not carried out a Home Fire Safety Assessment at Maureen’s house, where we fitted her a smoke alarm, then Seth would never have heard the beeping and the outcome would have been very different. It shows the real value of smoke alarms and people, like Seth, being fire aware. All that working together enables our dedicated firefighters to act quickly and ultimately save lives.”
Seth, a pupil at The Bluecoat School in Oldham, said: “I am really happy to come today to the fire station to have a tour and get an award, which means a lot. It’s a good feeling to know that I’ve helped someone.”