London fire: Hero father led family to safety from 21st floor of burning Grenfell Tower before dashing back in for oldest daughter

Hero: Marcio Gomes with his family
GoFundMe
Mark Chandler15 June 2017

A heroic father led his pregnant wife and daughter to safety from the 21st floor of the burning Grenfell Tower block before charging back inside for his other child.

Marcio Gomes, 38, led his family through the pitch-black stairwells of the blazing Notting Hill block but did not realise his 12-year-old girl Luana had collapsed due to choking fumes.

When he got to the lower levels with just Megan, 10, and wife, Andreia, 37, he dashed back up into the burning building, The Sun reported.

He told the paper: “I saw we had lost my daughter.

Evacuation from Notting Hill Grenfell Tower Fire - In pictures

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“So I didn’t leave the block. I went back up to try and get her.”

The Ofsted inspector cried for help from fire crews and directed them to where his daughter was lying, around halfway up the tower.

Firefighters at the scene (Reuters)
REUTERS

He said: “I had to tell them exactly where they were. They went up and carried her down.

“Luana survived by a miracle.”

The whole family are being treated for smoke inhalation on Thursday morning, the paper reported.

Seven-month pregnant Mrs Gomes was put into a medically-induced coma to help her and their unborn child to recover.

Mr Gomes said he called 999 when he realised something was wrong but was told to stay put.

The scene of the major fire in Notting Hill. (Nigel Howard)
NIGEL HOWARD ©

He took the decision to flee with his family around two hours later when flames reached his window

Mr Gomes said: “I just wrapped them all up in wet towels and sheets and said, ‘There’s no turning back — we have to go’.

“As soon as we opened the door all the smoke came in.

“But at that time we had no choice because the fire started coming in through the windows.

“We had to go down the stairs from the 21st floor.

“You couldn’t see anything. We had to step over bodies with my young daughters and my seven months pregnant wife.

“Our neighbours were with us. I was pushing them down as well.”

Friends of the family have now set up a Gofundme page to help them, with donations quickly soaring past the £18,000 mark.

Twelve people had been confirmed dead in the blaze by Thursday morning, with Scotland Yard saying that number is expected to rise.

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