Two men from Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, have been hailed as heroes after pulling a nine-month-old baby from a vehicle ablaze.
Wesley Beynon and his uncle Marc Willding came to the aid of infant Lilah after she became trapped in her 21-year-old mother Alex McClean’s car, which burst into flames.
The young mother from Ebbw Vale was faced with a horror scenario when the vehicle’s doors locked automatically while flames began to spread.
Ms McClean described the heroic rescuers as “literal lifesavers” when the group met again on Saturday.
The dramatic incident unfolded in a lay-by as the mother was travelling to take Lilah to a playgroup.
Warning lights had illuminated on the dashboard as the vehicle suddenly lost power while Ms McClean was driving along the A465 dual carriageway near Merthyr Tydfil.
She managed to pull into a lay-by, but within moments, smoke began filling the interior, prompting her to rush out of the car.
Attempting to reach her daughter, the 21-year-old tried both the rear door behind the passenger seat and the front passenger door, but neither would open.
Wesley Beynon and his uncle Marc Willding came to the aid of infant Lilah and her young mother, Alex McClean
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ANNE MARIE THOMAS
“I thought everything was just locked,” she explained, adding that panic prevented her from trying the opposite side of the vehicle.
As cars continued past without stopping, Ms McClean screamed for assistance while desperately attempting to break the window using her keys.
“I was hysterical and had no idea what was going on,” she said. “I thought I was going to lose her.”
Mr Beynon, a 39-year-old welder fabricator, was returning to his workshop when he and his uncle spotted the burning vehicle in the lay-by.
‘We were in the right place at the right time,’ Mr Beynon
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ALEX MCCLEAN
He recalled seeing a woman at the passenger door “clearly in distress”, screaming that her baby remained trapped inside, which he described as “horrifying”.
The Merthyr Tydfil man forced his way through the driver’s side door, unclipped the infant’s harness, before Mr Willding, 58, pulled Lilah to safety as flames were already visible inside the vehicle.
Within moments of the baby being freed, the car became completely engulfed in fire.
Mr Beynon said the timing was “pretty terrifying” and acknowledged it would have meant “a different story” had they arrived any later.
“We were in the right place at the right time.
“Instinct just took over,” he said.
Mr Willding added that he would never have departed until the infant was safely removed from the vehicle, stating: “We would have done it anyway possible.”
Baby Lilah emerged from the ordeal unharmed, and Ms McClean expressed her gratitude when reuniting with the pair on Saturday, presenting them with gifts.
“I’ve never been so appreciative of someone to help me, there were so many other people that didn’t bother, stopping,” she said.
Ms McClean vowed that her daughter would grow up knowing the identity of the men who rescued her and understanding what they did.
Mr Beynon said his phone has been “red hot” since being celebrated as a local hero on social media.
Using his platform, he offered straightforward advice to fellow motorists: “Just stop and help. You could potentially change somebody’s life.”