Helpers in conversation

Florianis rescue man from burning bedroom

This is what real lifesavers look like: Dominik Zöchinger, Daniel Baumgart- ner, Julian Willingshofer and Mathias Punz are delighted to have arrived in time, together with head of operations Bernhard Hörhan (from left).(Bild: FF Oberndorf an der Melk)

The neighbors in an apartment building in Oberndorf an der Melk reacted quickly. A fire broke out there. A couple ended up in hospital and are out of danger. The breathing apparatus team had to rescue the unconscious man from the bedroom. 

When an apartment in an apartment building in Oberndorf in the Scheibbs district caught fire, the neighbors had the presence of mind to alert the fire department and take initial action. "The whole house helped together. We were very lucky," a neighbor told the "Krone" newspaper. However, she did not want to say any more, as the case was tragic enough.

"Fire load was too high"
The fire department were also on the scene in no time at all. "When we arrived, a woman was lying in the garden in front of the patio door," says incident commander Bernhard Hörhan, describing the first dramatic scene. The Florianis quickly discovered that the 56-year-old's husband was still missing. "The fire load was too high for us to get into the rooms via the terrace. We gained access via the stairwell and broke down the door," explains Hörhan.

Every second counted
When the heavy breathing apparatus team opened the door, the couple's dog immediately fled outside. In the smoke, the 57-year-old man was found unresponsive in the bedroom and was quickly taken out of the house. In less than 30 minutes, the fire department was able to put out the fire, says Hörhan, pleased with his team, who arrived on the scene in good time.

Investigation underway
According to the police, the couple were taken to Scheibbs Hospital and there was no danger to their lives. The multi-party house is still habitable for the neighbors. The cause of the fire is now being investigated.