Two Magherafelt based paramedics have been hailed as heroes after pulling an ill woman from a burning ambulance.
The £100,000 ambulance was transferring a female patient to Antrim Area Hospital when it began to fill with smoke as they sped along the M2 towards Antrim around 4pm on Sunday.
After pulling over to the side of the road the two-man crew realised the entire vehicle was about to explode into a blazing inferno and pulled the woman to safety.
The woman was then placed into the back of a van owned by a passing motorist who had stopped to help and brought to Antrim area Hospital.
The woman’s condition has been described as non life threatening.
Neither of the ambulance crew wanted to talk about the dramatic incident last night but a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service praised the humble heroes.
He said: “As soon as the crew realised that the whole vehicle could be engulfed in flames, they moved quickly to ensure that the patients safety wasn’t put a risk. Their actions went a long way to ensuring that this did not become a tragedy and they deserve the highest praise for what they did. We would also like to thank all those who stopped to help the crew, especially the driver of the van who transported the patient and paramedic to the hospital.”