The bereaved family and the lifesavers were shocked when they saw the woman and her offspring standing in a panic at the upstairs window. “One of us happened to be standing outside the work bus and heard a cry for help. He banged hard on the window to alert us,” said Carlos Poulina, who was assembling a closet in the living room on Thursday afternoon with his brother Dalminthon and mutual friend John Solano.
When the three workmen came running, the mother had the baby, less than two months old, in her arms. “At our insistence, she threw the baby down and we were able to catch the baby in the front yard together. Then we quickly went to get a staircase from the work bus and one of us climbed up. He let the other children, ages 1, 2 and 3, dangle down so we could grab them. The mother was also helped down through the window,” the three said.
‘Completely panicked’
According to the cold-blooded lifesavers, the Hague was ‘completely in a panic’. The worried grandmother of the children, who rushed from her nearby home, had to hyperventilate so much that she was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Carlos and Poulina Dalminthon and mutual friend John Solano were able to save four little ones and the mother through an upstairs window.
Peter van Zetten
The Hague heroes are relieved that they have managed to bring the young family to safety. “All we thought was: those little ones have to get out of there! And luckily we succeeded. We can go home with peace of mind”, say the men, who are called ‘real heroes’ by local residents.
Flame in the pan
According to the fire service, the kitchen fire was caused by a flame in the pan. “As a result, the extractor hood caught fire, causing soot and smoke damage in particular to the kitchen,” said a spokesman, who says the rescued family was already on the street when the fire trucks arrived.
The massive emergency services – there were several fire trucks, police cars and ambulances on the spot – had to step up a gear on Thursday afternoon, when at almost the same time two cars collided with each other on the corner of the street after one of the drivers became unwell. The victim was resuscitated and rushed to hospital.