Lifeways support worker hailed a “hero” after shielding elderly neighbour from blaze

A brave Lifeways support worker in Newcastle has been praised after using himself as a human shield to save a frail pensioner from a ferocious garden blaze. 

Nathan Rutherford, 37, who supports two people at a service in Fawdon, was indoors when team-mates Emily Norton and Cameron Robson raised the alarm from the garden on Saturday (17 May 2025). 

When Nathan went outside, he was horrified to see flames from a neighbouring garden engulfing their wooden fence.  

He darted next door and discovered the elderly resident had fallen dangerously near the blaze. Seeing the danger, Nathan knew he had to act. 

“When I ran round and opened the back gate, I could see a Zimmer frame - and then I saw him. He was lying on his stomach, crawling towards the fire. I ran over and huddled in front of him to shield him from the heat,” Nathan said.  

“When I felt the intensity of that heat, I shouted Emily, and together we helped him away from the flames.  

“It was scary to see it happening, but in the moment, something just kicked in. I was scared for him. At first, I just wanted to stop the fire spreading but then fight or flight took over." 

Nathan described the heat as “unbelievable” and praised his colleagues for acting quickly: "If Emily and Cameron hadn’t raised the alarm, it could have been a much worse situation. He was quite frail, someone said he was in his 90s.” 

While Nathan helped the neighbour escape the flames, Emily called 999 and Cameron looked after the two people supported by Lifeways inside the house. 

Firefighters arrived within minutes and were able to put the blaze out. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, and the neighbour was understood to be recovering well. 

Danielle Bell, who supports the team at Holly Avenue, said: “I think he’s a hero. It just goes to show what kind of people we’ve got working here. They’re amazing. You don’t hear stories like this every day – but it proves how deeply our staff care, not just about the people we support but the wider community too.” 

Despite only being with Lifeways for a couple of months, Nathan’s instinctive response and courage has left a big impression on colleagues and neighbours alike. 

Amy Gilbert, Managing Director of Supported Living at Lifeways, said: “We’re so proud of Nathan and the team. They stayed calm and reacted heroically and selflessly in a dangerous situation. There’s no doubt about it, their quick thinking has saved someone from serious harm.”