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British firefighter rescues injured woman from Bali volcano

Mr Conway was on holiday in Bali. Pic: John Conway, West Midlands Fire Service
Mr Conway was on holiday in Bali. Pic: John Conway, West Midlands Fire Service

A Birmingham firefighter has described how he led the rescue of a woman who fell 40 metres into the crater of an active volcano.

John Conway, 33, was on a sunrise trek of Mount Batur in Bali when he heard the woman had plunged from a viewing platform.

"She was clearly in a very bad way. She was bleeding a lot and turning blue," said Mr Conway.

"I found out there was no air ambulance and the first aid supplies were really poor. All I had to use were some wet wipes, tissues and tape."

The woman fell into the crater on Mount Batur. File pic
The woman fell into the crater on Mount Batur. File pic

He fought for 30 minutes to stem the woman's bleeding and was joined by a nurse who was also on the trek.

Mr Conway covered up the woman with shirts and coats, and kept pinching her to keep her awake.

A human chain carried her out on a stretcher but they then faced a five-hour trek to the bottom of the volcano.

A human chain was formed. Pic: John Conway, West Midlands Fire Service
A human chain was formed. Pic: John Conway, West Midlands Fire Service

"She was obviously in severe pain and the nurse and I were worried she might have spinal injuries, but she never once complained," said Mr Conway, who is based at Birmingham's Highgate Community Fire Station.

"We paused every 10 minutes so the nurse and I could speak to her and stop her losing consciousness."

Once at the base they discovered the ambulance was an estate car with a driver and paramedics.

The nearest hospital was also two hours away.

The recovery took five hours. Pic: John Conway, West Midlands Fire Service
The recovery took five hours. Pic: John Conway, West Midlands Fire Service

"The nurse and I went with her, and I was crouched in the back of the ambulance the whole way. It was a nightmare journey. What little oxygen there was ran out half way, and we had to stop for fuel," said Mr Conway.

Luckily the woman made it to hospital and is recovering from broken bones, fractured ribs and spine, and a serious head injury.

The firefighter said it is a "miracle" she survived.

"She's still in hospital, but she's managed to get thanks to me for what we were able to do."

John's watch commander, Chris Gauntlett, praised his bravery and quick thinking.

He said: "John has been a firefighter for eight years and has been with us for a year after moving from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

"I'm not at all surprised to hear that he did everything he could to help this young woman.

"I've managed to have a brief chat with him to check he's OK, and we're looking forward to welcoming him back to the station."