Dyfed-Powys Police had received a report of a fire at Trimsaran Rugby Club on Saturday, 23rd May, at around 6:15pm where a container was allegedly set alight deliberately with a young boy inside.
The secretary of the club has described what happened in the awful incident, which has left the youngster with serious injuries in the burns unit at Morriston Hospital.
Ms Lyn Davies, the rugby club’s secretary, said the boy wouldn’t have lived if it weren’t for the heroic actions of three club members.
A group of fathers enjoying a drink in the sunshine at the Welsh rugby after being informed of the incident had raced to the area where they discovered that the petrified young boy was trapped inside the burning storage container.
They are said to have selflessly climbed on top of the burning container, which was already incredibly hot with paint peeling from the sides, to pull the young boy out through a small window before emergency services arrived.
Ms Davies said the alarm was first raised by a mum whose children were playing in the sunshine on the rugby field. She heard screaming and shouting and went to see what was happening before finding the storage container completely ablaze.
That’s when she saw that the little boy was stuck, unable to get his head out of a very small window. The mum was unable to open the window wide enough to give the trapped boy enough room to climb out, so she rushed to inform members outside the rugby club what was happening.
As the emergency services were called, three of the club members rushed out of the club and ran the distance to reach the fields to try and save the boy.
They had to climb on top of the burning container to pull him up through the small gap in the window before emergency services arrived, according to Lyn.
The little boy was described as “screaming and absolutely petrified.”
Lyn said there is no doubt in their mind that without their actions, and other club members who quickly came to help, the boy “wouldn’t have lived.”
“There was absolutely no way that he could get out on his own,” she said.
“The fire was behind him, which blocked the door. The little window open was the only thing that was available to get him out. Without the help of being physically pulled up from above, he wouldn’t have been able to get out.
“He’d managed to pull his head out, but he was screaming and he was absolutely petrified. Obviously he was in pain because he was getting burned. They definitely saved his life.”
She said the men didn’t even think twice before acting and just did what they had to do to get him out. “They’re all fathers with children of their own, some of them have grandchildren, she added.
“It didn’t bare thinking about letting him stay there.”
The mum of the 11-year-old boy has been in touch with Trimsaran RFC since the fire to thank the men for their actions and to say her son is “so grateful” for their help to get him out, Lyn said.
The blaze is said to have caused extensive damage to the container and its contents. Following an investigation, a 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson and attempted murder and has been released on conditional bail.
[Lead image: Trimsaran RFC]
