Mattress saves pregnant woman from towering inferno
19/10/2009
By Elizabeth Mewes
A pregnant mother walked away from a towering inferno with the life of both herself and her unborn child after neighbours'' quick thinking worked in her favour.
The unnamed woman, 21, dashed to her window and screamed for help as flames engulfed her apartment, making a traditional rescue plan null and void due to the sheer amount of fire and smoke which was ravaging the building.
Yet the properties of a nearby mattress were enough to bring her to comfort and safety as a nearby dumpster held a couple of items of bedding which were used to break her fall, with a huge group of neighbours getting together for true community spirit.
Commenting on the situation, Toronto fire platoon chief Robin Sanders said: "It''s a wonderful comment on neighbours.
"They''re people who are willing to get out to do that. They said, ''If we didn''t have the mattresses, we were prepared to break her fall with our bodies,'' so good for them."
Parents and children sharing beds soon after the pregnancy has ended may be putting their child at risk, according to new research from Bristol University, as over half of cot deaths have been linked to bed-sharing.
