FOUR members of a helicopter crew have been shortlisted for a bravery award after they rescued 11 people and a dog from the roof of a burning block of flats.
FOUR members of a helicopter crew have been shortlisted for a bravery award after they rescued 11 people and a dog from the roof of a burning block of flats.
The helicopter rescue team from Wattisham Airfield, near Stowmarket, has made the shortlist of the national Vodafone Life Savers Awards for its act of courage last year when a fire broke out on the ninth floor of a block of flats in Manston in Kent.
Kent firefighters called in the RAF Rescue 125 helicopter from Wattisham Airfield to assist in the rescue of a number of people who appeared to be trapped on the roof of the building.
The helicopter team – pilot Flight Lieutenant Paul Hopson and crew members Squadron Leader Simon Snashall, Sergeant Dave Sheppard and Flight Sergeant Bob Mullen – successfully winched eight adults, three children and a small dog from the roof and flew them to waiting ambulances.
The awards were created to pay tribute to acts of courage by members of the emergency services and the public. The winners will meet Prime Minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street on November 7 and received their prizes at a ceremony in London later that day.
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