Tomasz Zaręba, a Polish national delivering goods for Eurospar, was passing Granby Row in Dublin 1 shortly after 8 am when he spotted flames erupting from the upper floors of a four-storey residential building. With thick black smoke billowing from a third-floor window and screams piercing the air, Zareba acted without hesitation.

Rather than driving on, the quick-thinking driver reversed his lorry directly beneath the window, positioning it as a makeshift escape platform. Within moments, a man jumped from the inferno above, landing heavily on the vehicle’s roof to the shock and relief of bystanders.

Video footage, shared widely online, captures the dramatic moment: the lorry easing into position, the jump, and the gasps of onlookers as the man’s body thudded against the metal below. Witnesses were left stunned. “He just saved someone from an agonising death,” said one. 

Others echoed the sentiment: “Incredible. Absolute hero. Many would have driven on.”

In a statement to the Irish Mirror, Zaręba downplayed his actions: “I just thought it would be much safer for him to jump on the lorry instead of the footpath.” He added modestly, “I finished my deliveries for the day.”

But what he described was far from routine. Moments before the rescue, he’d seen another man lying injured on the pavement—his face bloodied, legs possibly broken from an earlier leap. 

“Another guy was screaming from the window. He didn’t know what to do—the flames were behind him and the drop was long,” Zareba recalled. 

“I reversed as close as I could, and the lads on the street shouted at him to jump.”

Once the man was safe, Zaręba stayed put in case more people needed help. He waited around 20 minutes until the fire brigade arrived and received a simple but heartfelt thanks from a firefighter: “Grand job, buddy.”

The fire, which prompted a swift emergency response from Dublin Fire Brigade and An Garda Síochána, saw six engines attend the scene. Seven people were treated on-site, with three transported to the hospital. Firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus fought to contain the blaze, while an investigation into its cause remains ongoing.

Eurospar later confirmed Zaręba was on his usual delivery round during the incident and praised his bravery. Social media users have since flooded with calls to formally honour him.

Originally reported by Dublin Live, this act of ordinary heroism underlines how, even amid crisis, one person’s calm resolve can mean the difference between life and death.

Source: DublinLive

Photo: @NTC_Report

Tomasz Modrzejewski