Dramatic moment hero police officer saves two men who were hanging from a ledge 16 storeys high during tower block fire sparked by an e-bike
- PC Justin Robbie was nominated for a bravery award
A police officer rescued two men from a tower block blaze which was caused by an e-bike.
PC Justin Robbie was nominated for a bravery award after he used his baton to smash a window so the men, who were hanging from a ledge 16 storeys up, could be hauled in.
The dramatic moment was captured on bodycam footage released by Avon and Somerset Police.
‘It is fantastic to be able to say I saved someone’s life by being there,’ PC Robbie said.
Emergency services were called to the fire at Twinnell House in Easton, Bristol in the early hours of September 25 last year.
Emergency services were called to the fire at Twinnell House in Easton, Bristol in the early hours of September 25 last year
PC Justin Robbie was nominated for a bravery award for saving two men’s lives
Investigators have since ruled the fire was caused by an e-bike.
Dad-of-seven Abdul Jabar Oryakhel, 30, died trying to escape and eight other people were injured.
Mr Oryakhel had been staying with his cousin and was trying to flee when he fell, according to reports.
As one of the first officers on the scene, PC Robbie began climbing the stairs and directing residents to exit the building, while his colleagues prevented anyone else from entering the flats.
On locating the fire in a 16th floor flat he opened its fire door to check if anyone was still inside only to be knocked back by the smoke and heat.
When he heard shouts for help from two men hanging from a window ledge, PC Robbie, who was not wearing safety equipment, and an unnamed firefighter broke through a window before pulling two men in.
Despite not winning the bravery award in London last night, PC Robbie said it was an ‘honour to be recognised’.
‘Like all officers, we don’t do it for the awards,’ he added.
‘I acted on my training and my automatic response kicked in. When everyone is running away from the danger, we run towards it.
Father of eight, Abdul Jabar Oryakhel, 30, died trying to escape the tower block fire
Investigators found that an e-bike started the blaze which led to one fatality and eight people injured
Pictured: Emergency services dealing with the aftermath of the fire which broke out on September 25, 2022
Pictured: Twinnell House in Easton, Bristol, where a fatal fire occurred in September last year
Emergency services were called to the fire at Twinnell House in Easton, Bristol in the early hours of September 25 last year
Pictured: Fire damage to Easton, Bristol tower block
‘Sadly, one person had already died and all I could think about was “I need to get in there and make sure no-one else is hurt”‘.
‘I didn’t think about my own safety, I just acted and luckily I was able to get to those two men and get them out safely.’
PC Robbie met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street.
Chief constable Sarah Crew said: ‘Police officers and staff encounter difficult and often harrowing situations on a daily basis and regularly put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect the public.
‘However, running into a burning building with the knowledge someone has already tragically died in order to save others is an act of true heroism.
‘PC Robbie remained calm in a highly dangerous situation and together with a firefighter worked swiftly and efficiently to rescue two men.
‘While someone very sadly lost their life in the fire, had PC Robbie not shown such courage and selflessness the tragedy could have been even worse.’
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