Cambridge Park father dashes into burning home to save a man

With just a wet T-shirt for protection and a torch, David Claridge crawled through a burning house on Saturday to rescue an elderly man trapped inside.

David Claridge, 43, of Cambridge Park, rescued a man from house fire in Penrith on Saturd

With a wet T-shirt wrapped around his face, David Claridge crawled on his hands and knees through a burning house in Penrith on Saturday to rescue its 66-year-old occupant.

David Claridge’s bravery saved the man’s life but despite being treated for smoke inhalation after the daring rescue, the father-of-three was back at work yesterday at Mr Minit in ­Chatswood.

Mr Claridge, 43, was driving home to Cambridge Park with his wife Fiona and family about 1pm on Saturday when they noticed smoke coming out of the house in Coreen Ave, Penrith.

“We saw the flames then and it was a quick-moving fire,” he said. “I jumped out of the car and there was a woman screaming, ‘He’s still in there’.”

The owner had attempted to put the fire our before becoming trapped inside the Coreen Ave house.

“I went into the house and found a tap and wet my T-shirt and wrapped it around my face.

“The fire was upstairs, so I crawled on my hands, knees and belly up the stairs with a torch the woman had handed me.”

Despite the torch, Mr Claridge was unable to see anything as thick dark smoke clouded around him. It was only when he bumped into something with his torch that he managed to find the occupant.

“It was the man’s feet — he was ­unconscious.”

By this time, another man had entered the houser to assist Mr Claridge and both men carried the 66-year-old downstairs. He was taken to Nepean Hospital and was released yesterday..

“It’s the first time in my life I did anything like this. I have all the respect for the fire and emergency services who do this (all the time).”

The Coreen Ave, Penrith, was severely damaged by the fire, which caused about $500,000 in damage.

Acting Penrith LAC crime manager detective Sergeant Cheryl Cook said the owners of the house returned home at 12.40pm on Saturday to find the house on fire and tried to extinguish it.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.

Mr Claridge said the resident later told him something exploded inside the house when he was trying to put out the fire and “blew him into the hallway where he got knocked out”.

Mrs Claridge said of her husband’s brave deed: “That’s the sort of man he is, he leapt out of the car to go and help the people.”