Heroic Royal Navy sailor commended for bravery after devastating Portsmouth house explosion
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Jon Thornber raced outside his partner’s home in Nelson Avenue, North End, to investigate the blast before dialling 999 on October 22, 2021. Jon guided Gary Smy out of the front garden of the affected house and led him to safety before returning to assist Gary’s mum Denise still inside the home.
Jumping over debris, Jon entered the property and carried Denise outside and away from danger. As a result of his bravery, Jon was presented with a Chief Fire Officer’s commendation on Friday.
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Jon, a Petty Officer in the navy, said: ‘I heard the explosion and went outside to investigate what had happened. I didn’t give it a second thought, I just leapt into action and did what needed to be done.
‘I’m really proud to have made a difference helping to save lives and it’s great to be presented with a commendation by the fire service, who do that sort of thing day in, day out.’
Not stopping there, Jon treated Gary and Denise using a hose to cool their burns, with other neighbours arriving on the scene to assist.
Firefighters from across Portsmouth praised Jon’s calm and helpful action. Chief fire officer Neil Odin said: ‘It is an honour to present Jon with this commendation for his quick-thinking and incredible bravery which helped save lives.
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Hide Ad‘I’m sure his naval training kicked in on that afternoon, immediately dialling 999 before jumping into action, showing extraordinary courage to enter a burning building. His actions deserve to be recognised and I want to take this opportunity to thank Jon for what he did.’
South Central Ambulance Service paramedics took the casualties to hospital, as the fire service’s Urban Search and Rescue firefighters assessed the structural damage to the terraced property. Investigations have since found the incident to have been caused by a natural gas leak.