Batley Girls’ High School pupils awarded for helping save a life
Megan and Amy Armitage and Gemma Wilkinson helped save an elderly woman from a house fire with Diane Yarrow of Earlsheaton, Dewsbury. They are presented with fire service awards by Lee Benson and Assistant Fire Chief Martin Redfearn at Batley Girls' High School.
THREE high school pupils have been honoured for their bravery in helping to save an elderly woman’s life.
Sisters Megan and Amy Armitage and their friend Gemma Wilkinson were presented with the Chief Fire Officer’s Letter of Appreciation – the second highest award given to civilians by the fire service – for helping rescue the woman from a house fire in Windmill Lane, Howden Clough, in April.
The three girls, pupils at Batley Girls’ High School, were visiting Megan and Amy’s grandma, Saphryn Armitage, when they saw her next door neighbour’s house was alight and full of smoke.
Megan, 12, Amy, 13 and Gemma, also 13, told Mrs Armitage, who rang the fire brigade, but the girls realised the woman was still inside the house.
They managed to catch the attention of Diane Yarrow, who was passing on her way to visit her mother. Mrs Yarrow, of Earlsheaton, Dewsbury, climbed through the front window to rescue the woman.
She threw the front door key out to the girls, who opened the door and led the women to safety before the fire brigade arrived.
Mrs Yarrow was awarded the fire service’s highest honour, the Chief Fire Officer’s Commendation, for putting her own life at risk to save another at a ceremony at Batley Girls’ on Tuesday.
Presenting the awards, Lee Benson from Huddersfield Fire Station said: “From our point of view these girls prevented a possible fatality.
“They put themselves at risk without realising it.” Batley Girls’ acting headteacher Jo-anne Atkinson said: “We are incredibly proud of our students. We teach them to do the right thing, and it’s nice that we have been able to see that recognition outside of school.”
The girls said they were shocked at the response to their efforts.
Amy said: “It was really scary at the time, but it all happened in a bit of a rush.”
Mrs Yarrow praised the girls, saying the rescue was a team effort between the four of them.
“I was following the lead of the girls,” she added.
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Thursday 23 May 2013
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