We would like to congratulation one of our young learners who has been hailed a hero after helping to save the life of an 89-year old man.

Cieran Callaghan was walking to his NVQ Plumbing course, here at NWTC, when he spotted a moving car on fire, with the driver seemingly unaware of the imminent danger.

Cieran, 16, rushed to the pensioner’s Fiat Punto, alerted him to what was happening and helped him to safety, just seconds before the fire took hold and the front of the smaller car turned into an inferno.

Cieran calmly said to the Liverpool Echo, “I could not just leave him there after what I saw”. Former police officer Tom Cunningham, Cieran’s tutor here at NWTC, described it as the sort of bravery which deserves a Queen’s Gallantry Medal. Tom now intends to write to Buckingham Palace with the suggestion he be awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal, awarded for ‘exemplary acts of bravery’.

Cieran was dropped off and walked the final few yards to his day’s lessons at around 8:45am. He said “I saw some flames coming from a car and at first I thought the tyre was on fire, but that was just the way the wind was blowing. As I got closer though, I could see the fire was under the bonnet. I knocked on the man’s window but I think he was a bit shocked at first, with a teenager knocking at his window. The car was slowing down, so I pointed at the bonnet and told him, so he stopped. I helped him get out of the car and then about 15 seconds later the fire really started.” . Another passer-by called the fire service which arrived on the scene and tackled the blaze before the petrol tank could explode.

Cieran said how would do it again if he saw the same thing. He said “at the time I was more worried about being late for class than anything happening.” Tom added “I could hardly believe it when the other lads told me why he was running late. When I was in the police, a car fire was always one of the most volatile situations you face – you just do not know what is going to happen. But Cieran went and got that man out and probably saved his life. It was remarkable and deserves to be recognised.”.

In recognition of his remarkable act, Cieran was awarded a special Bravery Award at NWTC’s Annual Presentation Evening.