FAMILY and friends of a couple who escaped their burning home by jumping from the first floor have told how they “lost everything” in the blaze.
Pete and Viv O’Neill remained in hospital yesterday after escaping their home in Charlton Marshall suffering burns, smoke inhalation and injuries sustained when they landed in their garden.
Neighbours have told how Mr O’Neill had been rebuilding their cottage for the last three years and the roof had only recently been finished before they became trapped upstairs during the blaze.
And his son-in-law James Barkess, landlord of the Charlton Inn, spoke to the Daily Echo on behalf of him and his wife Gemma, the injured couple’s daughter.
“It’s so gutting because they’ve just done the roof,” he said.
“They’ve lost everything. That was their home.”
Neighbours have recovered a jewellery box from the house on the main A350 Bournemouth Road through Charlton Marshall, but said the couple’s cat Maisy remains missing.
Their daughter and sons Mark and Luke have been among those visiting their 57-year-old father at the Salisbury Odstock burns unit and their 60-year-old mother is at Poole General.
“They are in hospital but are recovering,” James added.
“They were lucky to get away with their lives.”
He thanked the fire service for a “fantastic job” and said he understood comments made afterwards about smoke alarms not having working batteries, but said the fact the house was being rebuilt was a factor.
James said: “They had already made plans to put in a smoke alarm system but some of the ceilings weren’t yet finished.”
A £250 donation has been handed in to the family at the pub in one envelope, as well as other donations, and the family thanked the community for its “overwhelming” support.
Salisbury District Hospital said Mr O’Neill was in a stable condition yesterday.
The injured couple’s next-door neighbour Roger Kershaw was woken by police when the fire started around midnight on Tuesday night and ran to the house to see they were being treated on the grass.
“I’ve been told Pete got Viv out and quickly went back to see what he could do,” he said. “He threw her out of the window.”
Mr Kershaw has driven family members to Salisbury but said his friend was unable to speak to him due to the medication.
“It’s a terrible shame,” he said.
“I managed to recover a jewellery box out of the bedroom but other than that there’s nothing in there to get.”
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