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Hero cops save elderly man from burning car

Two Queensland police officers have been hailed heroes for saving an elderly driver.

Two Queensland police officers have been hailed heroes for saving an elderly driver. Photo: Twitter

Two Queensland police officers who risked being caught up in a fiery explosion repeatedly bashed at the windscreen of a burning car to save an elderly driver.

Senior Constable Kevin Mayo and Gympie Constable Jeremy Gardiol refused to give up on the 73-year-old man as flames took hold of his car after it rolled and came to rest on its side at Gympie on Wednesday morning.

“I think I hit that thing at least at 30 times before I got that first hole in. It seemed like an eternity,” Senior Constable Mayo told the Nine Network on Thursday after footage of their heroic actions surfaced.

“Halfway through smashing through, it started to cross that line between brave and stupid, and I started to think we gotta get out of there.

“Obviously, thinking of the kids at home, it’s like ‘well he’s in there, [we’ve] got to get to him’.”

Watch the frantic rescue below:

Gympie Constable Jeremy Gardiol said the vehicle went up in flames soon after they dragged the man to safety.

“It’s a split-second thing sort of thing, adrenalin takes over,” he said.

“Within about a minute, the flames had gone through the whole vehicle.”

A good Samaritan also helped the officers by clearing the smashed glass with his bare hands.

The officers have visited the 73-year-old in hospital, where he is recovering well.

“He’s a very lucky man,” Senior Constable Mayo said.

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