SIX people were taken to hospital yesterday after being rescued from a blazing block of flats with a football coach and firefighters performing heroic rescues.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning and engulfed the top flat of the block in Loanhead, Midlothian.
Local youth football coach Colin Walker, his partner Michelle Coleman and their five children named locally as Skye, Erin, Kaiden, Carly-Rose and Flynn were inside at the time.
Walker injured himself jumping from the second floor window but was still able to catch members of his family as they escaped the inferno by jumping after him. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters rescued two people and six in total were taken to hospital where their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
Colin Walker’s sister wrote on Facebook: “I honestly can’t believe I am writing this early this morning I woke with phone calls to say my brother and Michelle’s flat has caught fire! I can’t believe this has happened to them they have lost absolutely everything!
“My brother has been an absolute hero jumping out the window and catching every single one of them as they jumped out from their top floor flat just in time!”
Crowdfunding pages have been launched to support the family with over £4000 already raised.
Colin’s brother Robert wrote on gofundme: “My brother Colin had to jump from a top floor flat window, and displayed incredible courage and quick thinking to intentionally land on his stomach so that he could avoid damage to his legs and arms, allowing him to catch everyone else in his family before the fire consumed them. He is in hospital in a bad way at the moment but thankfully is expected to make a full recovery.”
Initially thought to have died, the family dog, Rory, also survived.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here