Hero crane worker recalls dramatic moment he rescued man from building inferno

29 November 2023 , 11:42

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Hero crane worker recalls dramatic moment he rescued man from building inferno

A hero crane operator who dramatically lifted a man from a burning building has described the moment he knew he was safe.

Glen Edwards, 65, sprung into action last week when the half-built high rise structure in Reading caught fire - with one builder on the roof just inches away from the flames as they started to surround him.

Nail-biting video from the scene shows a man climbing into the crane's cage after Glen swung it round and carefully lowered it down, before he was winched away to safety.

Now, the crane worker from Egham, Surrey, has revealed exactly what was going through his head as he carried out the painstaking recue operation - and admitted he couldn't even see the man he saved for most of it, because of all the smoke.

Glen Edwards, 65, used his crane for a nerve racking rescue last week when a high-rise in Reading caught fire (PA)

The workman was lifted to safety in a cage which Glen carefully lowered down (PA)

Mr Edwards told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "My adrenaline was gone out the roof, but I tried to stay calm. On the top of the jib there's a camera, so I could see the levelling, but I couldn't see him because of the smoke and the flames. Every now and again I got a glimpse of him but then the smoke came back."

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He revealed that he then tried to land the crane's cage "between him and the fire", while all the time trying to avoid hitting the man with it or dropping it in the fire. He added: "I had so much noise up there with the alarms going off, so it was quite buzzy". The crane hero admitted that he couldn't even see the man as he entered the cage - but could tell he'd got inside because it showed up on his crane's weight measurements.

Glen Edwards said his 'adrenaline was through the roof' as he carried out the painstaking crane rescue (ITV)

There was then a tense moment when the wind began to make the cage sway as he started the rescue - but luckily Glen was able to carry out the full rescue, and was "100 per cent" certain as he pulled the crane up that the man was inside the cage. At one stage, a large crowd was seen looking on in anticipation behind emergency responders - and Glen said he could hear them cheering as the man was taken to freedom.

A GoFundMe page has now been set up to raise money for Mr Edwards - with organisers encouraging people to "buy Glen a beer" as a token of gratitude for his life-saving efforts. It has already raised £5,504 - a whole £500 above its original target. Speaking after the incident, a spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said two people were taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital for further assessment and treatment for smoke inhalation following a fire at Station Hill. They added that neither were "severe cases".

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas