Heroes rescue woman ‘seconds from death’

A PART-TIME lodger and a passing motorbiker saved the life of a woman who was seconds from death when they pulled her from a fire in her Romford home.

Chris Grubb, 45, dragged Moira Drewry from her smoke-filled bedroom and pumped her chest when she stopped breathing – actions that prevented a tragedy on Monday afternoon (October 11).

English teacher Chris, from Edinburgh, stays with Moira three or four times a year while he is on motorbiking holidays.

Former nurse Moira, 53, said: “He’s staying at my house for about three weeks this time and if he hadn’t have been here I would definitely be dead.

“Doctors said if I’d have been in the room for a few seconds longer I would have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.”

Chris was working on his bike in the garden of the Mawney Road home when he heard the sound of smoke alarms going off, but by the time he had reached Moira’s bedroom the air was already thick with smoke.

“I couldn’t see a thing,” he said. “I had to get air three times before I finally managed to find Moira on the ground and drag her out.

“She had stopped breathing, so I thumped her hard on the chest and she came back.

“Her mouth was so dark it looked like she had swallowed a tin of boot polish!”

Chris was helped by passer-by Martin Hegg, 45, of nearby Birch Close, who was returning from work on his green Kawasaki when he saw the drama and helped drag Moira to safety.

Martin, an IT consultant, said: “It was a gut reaction to go and help. I would expect anybody to do the same.

“I’m over the moon that everything worked out in the end.”

Moira said: “They’re my heroes. I will never be able to thank them enough for what they did.”

The fire was started when Moira fell asleep while smoking in her bed.

Chris added: “The fire brigade were on the scene in about four minutes and they took over.

“They were so calm. I really want to thank them for their help.”