Officer who fought off flames to rescue a man trapped in burning car recognised for immense bravery

A Carmarthenshire police officer who fought off flames to rescue a man trapped in his burning car has been recognised for his immense bravery.

Constable Jonathan Tatam disregarded his own safety to help save the man’s life, whose car had caught on fire following a road-traffic collision with a tractor.

Without hesitation “natural instinct and adrenaline kicked in” and Jonathan ran back to the police car, retrieved a fire extinguisher and heroically rushed back towards the blaze.

He managed to suppress the fire long enough to reach the trapped individual, whose leg was pinned under the dashboard.

Safety

With flames re-igniting and time running out, Jonathan courageously pulled the man out of the car and dragged him to safety before the vehicle was fully engulfed by fire.

Jonathan, who has only been an officer for three years, said: “Watching the body worn footage afterwards was quite surreal. It all happened so fast.”

“I still find it difficult to comprehend what I did and how it could have been a lot different. The man’s friends, who he had been travelling with, were pleading with us to do something and I knew I couldn’t sit back and watch.”

“I remember thinking if I don’t do something now, this person is going to die.

“The car was on a single-road track and close to a hedge and there was very little room to manoeuvre. I remember it being incredibly hot from the fire and I was concerned that the hedge would also catch alight.”

“Thankfully, we had a fire extinguisher in the police car otherwise I doubt the man would be here today.”

“I thought if I could get the flames away from the man’s legs then, it would give him some respite from the fire and give him the extra strength required to try and free himself.  He was naturally in pain from his injuries and was panicking. The relief of the flames being off him for a few minutes must have given him the strength to dislodge his foot and wriggle himself free.”

“I knew it was time critical, I could hear popping and bangs, which was probably the tyres exploding. I don’t know what was going through my head, but I knew I had to get the man away from the car as quickly as possible and dragged him down the road with my colleague who performed first aid.”

“Around 30 seconds later, the car was completely up in flames.”

Adrenaline

Jonathan’s bravery did not stop there. With adrenaline pumping, he ran around trying to manage the incident, which took place last summer outside Cynwyl Elfed, Carmarthenshire. He cleared the road to allow access for other emergency services and assisted the air ambulances to carry their kit from the landing site to the injured male.

The man was airlifted to the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff, with multiple injuries, including a broken femur and third-degree burns.

Jonathan, aged 33, who lives just outside Carmarthen, said the support he received from the force had been outstanding.

He said: “It didn’t hit home what had really happened until I went home that evening. I was offered support, and my colleagues provided a listening ear.

“I was called to another road traffic collision involving a vehicle on fire a couple of months afterwards, and I remember thinking, ‘not again.’ It’s part and parcel of the job and it is good knowing there is a support service available to officers should they need it. My colleague PC Catrin Jones was also outstanding on the day and following the incident.”

Thanks to Jonathan’s quick-thinking, immense courage and service to policing, he was presented with a bravery award, which was sponsored by Niche, at the Dyfed-Powys Police Force Awards. The awards ceremony, which was sponsored overall by CDW, was held at force headquarters on Friday, July 4, and saw over 20 groups and individuals recognised for their efforts.

Jonathan was also nominated for a national bravery award.

He said: “It is lovely to be recognised so early on in my policing career and I thank everyone who has supported me. I didn’t expect to be nominated let alone win an award, I was just doing my job.”

“I have always wanted to be a police officer and applied a number of times when I was younger before finally getting the job when I turned 30-years-old.”