“We are not heroes,” said Mario Ménard, left, after he and a colleague rescued three from their burning house.

“We are not heroes,” said Mario Ménard, left, after he and a colleague rescued three from their burning house.
Photo Credit: Salimah Shivji/CBC

Repairmen save three from house fire

“I heard a little girl screaming ‘Help us! Help us! We’re going to die,’” recounted electrical repairman Mario Ménard to CBC News. He and colleague Guy Desgagné were looking for downed power lines on January 4 in Hudson, Quebec, after a day of freezing rain. Suddenly, they spotted fire through the trees nearby.

A closer look revealed a family home on fire. Then they heard the cries for help.

The repairmen saw fire through the trees as they passed in their truck.
The repairmen saw fire through the trees as they passed in their truck. © Guy Desgagné

Family had to jump

A mother and two daughters, aged eight and 10, were leaning out of a window on the second floor. Ménard urged them to jump. They were afraid to. The mother pushed one girl out and she was safely caught. After some coaxing, the second child jumped and was caught.

Ménard tried to catch the mother after she jumped, but she fell to the ground and hurt her back. With help, he was able to pull her away from the raging fire and intense heat. She was taken to hospital.

Firemen said they would have been too late to rescue the family.
Firemen said they would have been too late to rescue the family. © CBC

Firefighters would have been too late

When firefighters arrived moments later, the flames had engulfed most of the house. Although they arrived six minutes after they were called, they believe they would have been too late to save the family.

The father had been out to buy coffee and doughnuts because the storm had cut off electricity in the house. After surveying the scene, he thanked Ménard and Desgagné and called the two angels.

Mario Ménard, right, described how he and Guy Desgagné caught the two little girls.
Mario Ménard, right, described how he and Guy Desgagné caught the two little girls. © CBC

‘We are not heroes’

Ménard fought back tears as he told CBC “We’re not heroes. We were lucky to be passing over here that night.” He said anyone would have done the same.

CBC Radio’s Shawn Apel asked Mario Ménard to describe what happened.

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