Carrickfergus schoolgirl praised for 'quick-thinking' response after spotting fire

Georgia Anderson, 10, was walking with friends through the Sunnylands area on Friday, August 30 when she spotted smoke coming from the window of a nearby flat.

The P7 pupil immediately contacted the emergency services, who attended the incident and rescued the occupant of the property.

Georgia’s grandmother, Alice Anderson said: “She had her phone on her and she immediately dialled 999 to call the fire brigade.

"Some people might have just walked on, but Georgia didn’t; she could have saved a life and deserves to be recognised for her quick-thinking.”

A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said that two appliances from Carrickfergus Fire Station attended the incident on Sunnylands Grove shortly before 8pm on August 30.

“Firefighters entered the property, rescued one casualty and extinguished the fire. The incident was dealt with by 8.20pm and the cause was accidental ignition,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, a young motorcyclist who suffered multiple injuries after a road traffic collision near Carrickfergus earlier this year has thanked the off-duty firefighter who assisted him at the scene.

Coleraine man Dawid Ostrowski was travelling home from work on the afternoon of May 31, 2024 when his vehicle was involved in a collision with a car on the Watch Hill Road.

Warren Logan, an on-call (part-time) firefighter with Carrickfergus Fire Station, was travelling along the route at the same time and tended to the injured man.