EXCLUSIVE: Mum thanks heroes who saved deaf son from fire
Local residents in west Belfast have been thanked by the mum of a profoundly deaf man whose life they saved by alerting him to a fire near his house.
Last updated 19th Jul 2017
Marie Hamill said her son Eamonn, in his 30s, is profoundly deaf and had to be woken by neighbours in Glasvey Gardens at around 3am on Wednesday.
Around four 20-30-year-old men rushed to his aid and got him out of the house.
The fire spread from the back of the house and damaged another home in the terraced row.
Eamonn's mum says she's so grateful for those that stepped in to help.
“They actually thought it was a car burning at first – even if it had been that they still responded and they didn’t have to," she said.
“The police did say to me that your son is alive because of people attending this. I can’t thank them enough.
“Obviously when you see someone who hasn’t got hearing he didn’t hear anything – it would have gone on the vibrations.
“I just want to say to those young lads - 'you saved my son.'
“He lives alone in the house – his neighbours would know him – he is very caring he would look after his neighbours especially the more vulnerable ones
"Eamon is very shook up – he is reluctant to come back but hopefully time will heal
"Eamon is profoundly deaf – it could have been fatal today.
"I believe it is an opening to look at any disability adaptations for people so that nothing like this can happen again.
Marie says that she has been deeply touched by the courage of the community around Eamonn.
"Within the community, people rally round, but for my own sanity, I can't thank them enough," she said.
"Young ones tend to get a bad press, but they're exceptional to me and I can never repay them.
"Eamonn just recently got a wee dog and his first reaction was to get the dog and his cat out first and that's just his nature.
"I daresay that if there was another person in there too, he would have got them out before himself."
Eamonn is badly shaken up and Marie says her priority now is to look after him until he feels well enough to return to his home.
"At this stage, it's just to make him feel safe again and to try and get him right."