An 89-year-old Gisborne man saved from a burning house has been able to thank his rescuer in person after the pair met.
Construction worker Timothy Morris, 37, and his friend were driving past when they noticed a house on fire on Aberdeen Rd at around 1am on Saturday and pulled over to help before emergency crews arrived. Morris pulled Norman Mercer to safety.
In the hospital, Mercer told 1News about the moment he woke up to his home ablaze.
"The house was full of smoke and ... the heat, I think it was a matter of seconds, and it came like a gust of wind.
"Like hell on earth."
In their first meeting since the night of the rescue, Mercer expressed his gratitude for Morris' help.
"It's a miracle through and through, and I just cant believe I've survived it," he said.
"I cant believe that he's been there at a time to drag me away from the burning house."
Morris said he saw Mercer pop his head out of the bedroom window in an attempt to escape the blaze.
"It was just the right place at the right time really," he said.
"We were lucky to sort of get around to the front of the house and he had woken up in the smoke and tried to make a flee for fresh air, but he didn't quite make it."
Morris said he tried to pull Mercer through the window as quickly as possible without hurting him.
"I managed to pull him through the window while the smoke was running through his bedroom door and coming after us."
The 89-year-old was unconscious when he was first found, Morris said.
"He kind of came to, and he was a bit lost at the start and the poor guy was stuck there in his undies.
"I ran over to the neighbours and I said to the lady 'miss I need some pants'."
Once Mercer was safely outside and emergency crews had arrived, Morris and his friend left.
Police on Saturday made a public appeal for the rescuer to come forward to thank him for his actions.
Morris said he had gone straight to sleep, and it wasn't until the next day that it all sank in.
"It just kind of slipped my mind until I saw a post about it and then my friend mentioned it."
Timothy Morris spotted the fire while driving on Saturday night and ran towards the home when he saw no one standing outside. (Source: Breakfast)
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