A MAN with autism overcame his condition to rescue two people from a burning boat in the middle of the night.

The boat was destroyed by the fire in the early hours of Saturday, which police said was not being treated as suspicious. A third person also escaped.

John Simmonds, 34, who lives on a narrowboat by Osney Bridge, Oxford, was woken at 3.30am by loud banging. He said: “It was like a warzone, all I could see was smoke.”

The computer programmer ran along the bank through the smog, banging on other boats lining the Thames to wake people up. 

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Reaching a 20ft fibreglass pleasure boat he saw flames inside the cabin and people inside rattling the door. 
He said: “They were shouting ‘It’s locked, help us, save us’.” 
Mr Simmonds, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, added: “The flames were right behind the window which was our only access point.” 
He then told the trapped boaters to grab something heavy to smash the windows on the far side of the boat and jump out. 
He said: “I heard bang, bang, smash, then they managed to jump out. I heard a splash, and I thought ‘fantastic’.” 
Mr Simmonds guided them around to the bank, and a woman arrived first.
“She was wearing a jumper and jeans,” he said. “I grabbed her and a bystander gave me a hand to pull her out.” 
Next a man from the burning boat swam to the towpath. 
Mr Simmonds said: “I have Asperger’s so I don’t like touching people but I grabbed him – they were both heavy. 
“I dragged him away from the vessel on to the bank and said ‘is anyone else on board?’ 
“All he could say was ‘my dog, my dog’s on board’.” 
Mr Simmonds said the woman then jumped back on to the boat to try to save the 14-year-old collie, but finally gave up her efforts. 
“There was no way of getting it out,” he added. 
A third person on the boat, a man, also escaped the blaze. 
A crowd of Halloween revellers dressed as zombies and schoolgirls gathered on Osney Bridge in Botley Road to watch the drama. 
Mr Simmonds warned them that there could be gas canisters on board the burning boat and urged them to leave. 
Police and paramedics arrived and firefighters put out the blaze. 

Oxford Mail:

What was left of the boat
The fire burnt through the boat’s mooring ropes and it drifted first towards the bridge, then back towards its moorings, flames engulfing the roof. 
The charred wreck eventually ran against the opposite bank, where it sank, with the dog still on board. 
Two men and a woman were treated at the scene by firefighters and paramedics for smoke inhalation, and were taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital
Mr Simmonds, who has lived on his boat The Old Peculier for two-and-a-half years, said: “I just kept my legs moving – the adrenaline probably helped.” 
Station manager Guy Dunkley, from Slade Park Fire Station, said the damage was “extensive”, and hindered salvage operations. 
He advised boat owners to check their smoke alarms. 
Thames Valley Police spokeswoman Connie Primmer said the blaze appeared to be accidental.

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