Naked Man Jumps on Bus to Escape Fire

British bus driver hailed for heroic rescue
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 12, 2015 10:31 PM CST
Updated Feb 13, 2015 12:15 AM CST
Naked Man Jumps on Bus to Escape Fire
Firefighters arrived to tackle the blaze a few minutes after the bus rescue.   (Essex County Fire and Rescue)

With fire racing through a third-story apartment in Braintree, England, and no firefighters in sight, death or serious injury appeared to be inevitable for a man trapped by the flames. Enter Andy Waterman, bus driver. Waterman was driving an out-of-service double-decker bus back to the depot when he was flagged down by a group of people seeking help, the BBC reports. Waterman drove up to the burning building to allow the man to jump onto the roof of his bus. "He had no other exit," Waterman tells the BBC. "The poor guy was in the shower—he was completely naked. It was freezing cold."

Waterman slowly drove a short distance away with the man still on the roof of the bus. Firefighters arrived with a ladder—and clothes—a few minutes later. "If the bus hadn't been there, I don't know how he would have escaped, the fall could easily have killed him. The bus driver's actions saved this man's life," a fire department spokesman said in a statement. "It's an unusual rescue, but it was extremely effective." Waterman, who will receive a commendation for his actions, says that in his eight years of driving buses, "nothing like this has happened before. I am just pleased the man is alive." The rescued man was treated for smoke inhalation, and the fire is being investigated as arson, reports the Telegraph. (More Essex, England stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X