A TEIGNMOUTH police sergeant risked his own life to plunge into a burning building to carry a woman to safety last Friday. Sgt Glyn Chorley said he is 'embarrassed' by any suggestion that his actions were heroic after he helped carry an unconscious mum of two from a smoke-filled flat in Bitton Park Road. Sgt Chorley, PC Rob Harvey and PC Jenny Southcombe were on patrol in Teignmouth late on Friday night when a man asking for help flagged them down. He told the officers that a first floor flat was on fire and a woman trapped inside. The man had already managed to get his two young children from the building after the fire started in the kitchen. Sgt Chorley said: 'Because the fire was in a flat above a shop, the access is through a small entrance way and up narrow stairs. 'The kitchen was well ablaze and we tried to get to the second floor because we thought the woman was up there. 'We found her unconscious in the lounge, which was full of thick smoke, and we managed to carry her out to the street. Sgt Chorley said they did their best to stay low to the ground to get clean air but had no other fire-fighting protection. The family were taken to Torbay Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. Three Teignmouth fire crews were quickly on scene to put out the blaze. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hoses to put out the flames in the mid-terrace property. Sgt Chorley has been stationed at Teignmouth for 18 months. He was at Chudleigh for two years.
