Relatives praise hero insomniac after he wakes mother, children sleeping in burning home
A man who suffers from insomnia is being hailed a hero for helping rescue a mother and her children from their burning home in the Adelaide Hills.
The brave neighbour was wide awake when fire broke out in the Kanmantoo house early this morning, while the family was fast asleep.
He spotted the flames, raced over and woke the mother, Jessica.
Martin Rose, a relative of the family, told 7 News he couldn't thank the good Samaritan enough for raising the alarm.
“If it wasn't for the young lad, God knows what would have happened," he said.
"She got the kids out of bed and they got out of there.
“I'd like to wrap me arms around him and give him a big kiss, but I'm not going to do that.”
Jessica and her two boys, aged four and seven, were taken in by neighbours as multiple fire crews battled the blaze.
It took 20 firefighters half an hour to contain it, but the house was gutted.
A shocked father returned from work to find his family home had been destroyed.
“You look at the house, the devastation that's been caused, I'd think everything's gone,” Mr Rose said.
The rental property is owned by a mortgage broker who estimated the damage bill to be at least $400,000. Luckily, the property owner is insured.
“Good thing they got out unhurt, that's the most important thing,” landlord Greg Mendrina said.
Investigators say they have cannot determine the cause of the blaze, but don't believe it to be suspicious.
