THE quick-thinking actions of a Durban North resident helped save a number of guests from a fire that gutted a room at the Riverside Hotel. Gordon (‘Gords’) Reid was driving back from an early morning cycle at 5.50am when he spotted smoke billowing out of a second floor window. The 42-year-old not only raised the alarm but also helped get some of the bewildered guests out of their rooms.
“I was driving across the bridge over the uMgeni River when I spotted the fire. I drove into the parking lot and started screaming like a banshee. I knew it was important to get people out of their rooms and out of the hotel. I went down to the pool area and screamed ‘Fire, fire’, some people came to their windows, but some of them weren’t leaving their rooms.
“I then ran up with some of the security guards and began banging on doors to alert people to the fire. The hotel was quite full and there were a number of guests I helped down the steps. The hotel was built properly so the fire was well contained and the fire department eventually doused the flames,” he said.
Gordon, who is well-known in the cycling fraternity for championing the cause for the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC) by dressing up in a cow suit and participating in events to raise funds for the foundation, urged residents checking into hotels to always look for the fire escape routes.
When asked what prompted the good Samaritan to go to the hotel, he answered it was a no-brainer.
“Ten years ago I witnessed a plane crash into a home in Danville Avenue. I rushed to the scene with other residents and helped the family of the Austrian tourists who were trapped in the wreckage. Since that day, if I see something going down, I will always try and help. So many people don’t know what to do in these situations and it’s important not to panic,” he said.
It is unclear what caused the fire and we are awaiting comment from the hotel.
