A screaming 11-year-old boy was saved by a group of heroic fathers after he became trapped inside a burning storage container at a rugby club in South Wales. The fathers, who had been enjoying drinks in the club's beer garden, climbed onto the flaming container and pulled the child to safety through a small window after a mother heard his cries for help.
Incident at Trimsaran RFC
The incident occurred at Trimsaran Rugby Football Club, near Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire, on Saturday afternoon. The boy was found badly burnt and was rushed to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where he remains in a stable condition. A 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and arson and has been released on conditional bail pending further investigations.
Heroic Actions of the Fathers
Lyn, the club secretary, described how a woman heard the commotion and went to investigate. She said: 'That's when she saw that the little boy was stuck. He had his head out of a very small window but he couldn't get out.' Lyn added that the boy 'wouldn't have lived' without the bravery of the fathers. 'There was absolutely no way that he could get out on his own,' she said. 'The fire was behind him, which blocked the door. The little window open was the only thing that was available to get him out. Without the help of being physically pulled up from above, he wouldn't have been able to get out.'
She continued: 'He'd managed to pull his head out, but he was screaming and he was absolutely petrified. Obviously he was in pain because he was getting burned. They definitely saved his life. They're all fathers with children of their own, some of them have grandchildren. It didn't bear thinking about letting him stay there.'
Emergency Response
Fire crews from Llanelli, Pont-iets, and Kidwelly were called to the scene at around 6.15pm, where dark plumes of smoke were rising from the container. They used breathing apparatus, hose reel jets, hydraulic spreaders, ladders, and thermal imaging cameras to extinguish the fire, which had also spread to a neighbouring property, affecting its roof space. The fire is believed to have been started deliberately.
Club Statement
In a statement, Trimsaran RFC said: 'I'm sure that a lot of people are aware that there was an issue on our fields on Saturday afternoon where one of our storage containers were set on fire causing a lot of damage to our equipment. The main thing is that a young boy was trapped inside and only got out due to the heroism of some of our club members.' The club thanked its members and the emergency services for their response.
Police Investigation
A spokesman for Dyfed-Powys Police said: 'Dyfed-Powys Police received a report of a fire at Trimsaran Rugby Club on Saturday, May 23 at around 6.15pm. A container was allegedly set alight deliberately, causing extensive damage to the container and its contents. An 11-year-old boy suffered serious injuries during the incident and remains in a stable condition in hospital. A 13-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson and attempted murder. They have been released on conditional bail. The investigation is ongoing.'
Trimsaran is best known as the home club of rugby legend and BBC commentator Jonathan Davies.
