Rugby players rush to aid burns victim

Photo / File

Port Chalmers rugby players rushed to help a screaming man who was badly burnt in a car fire yesterday.

Port Chalmers fire station officer Glenn Holland said a 22-year-old Port Chalmers man was changing a fuel pump on his Ford Falcon station wagon at 6.20pm yesterday.

The station wagon was parked in the driveway at the back of a friend's house in Albertson Ave when it caught fire.

The man had serious burns to his arm and superficial burns to his face and leg and was in extreme pain.

"He let the neighbourhood know and that got the attention of the rugby team training next door, and a bunch of those boys ran over and helped get him in a cold shower."

The players were members of the Harbour Rugby Football Club premier and senior teams, he said.

A Port Chalmers Pool lifeguard, who also heard the man, "unloaded" a dry powder fire extinguisher on the car fire and two rugby players sprayed water on the fire with garden hoses, he said.

The people who responded quickly were to be commended, Mr Holland said.

"They did a great job and saved us a lot of work ... due to their efforts, the worst of it was out when we arrived, while the rest of them put the young fellow under a cold shower in the house."

A St John spokesman said the man was taken to Dunedin Hospital with serious burns to his left arm.