By John Baron
A chef has helped to save the life of a disabled man seconds before a car burst into flames on Farnley Ring Road.
Michael Gardiner, who is a chef at New Farnley Cricket Club, was driving along the Ring Road at Farnley on Tuesday at around 5.45pm when he saw smoke coming out of a car.
He noticed other people driving past, so wound down his window to ask the female driver if she needed any help.
Michael noticed that the passenger was a disabled man, so pulled up his own car and, with the help of another man, dragged him from his car into safety of the adjacent bus lay by.
Just seconds later the car exploded. Their bravery saved the man’s life.
“It all happened so quickly, it’s a bit of a blur,” said Michael. “We were trying to pull him out of the car as the flames were getting bigger and bigger. Luckily we managed to pull him away and to safety just as the flames took over the car.”
The mystery man who helped Michael drove away soon afterwards, but Michael is reluctant to be labelled a hero.
“I was just doing what anyone would do,” he told WLD. “Instinct took over. If my wife was in trouble I would hope that people would stop and help. I’m not comfortable with all the attention and don’t see myself a hero. There was another man who helped as well.”
The disabled man and his sister, who was driving the car, were both unhurt. West Yorkshire Fire Service arrived shortly afterwards and extinguished the blaze.
New Farnley Cricket Club today paid tribute to Michael’s actions on social media. They posted: “A huge shout out to our resident chef Michael Gardiner who heroically on Tuesday tea time saved the life of a disabled man, seconds before the car he was in exploded into flames on the Farnley Ring Road.
“The bravery saved the man’s life.”
People were quick to pay tribute to Michael’s actions on social media.
Lucy Clough said: “You are a true hero, sir. The fear that gentlemen would of had knowing he couldn’t get himself out of his car… Absolutely amazing.”
And Rebecca McCarthy added: “You deserve a bravery award for what you guys did. Well done, it’s good to see there is still good people about.”
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