A HERO cop who pulled a man from a burning car said he and his colleague didn’t think twice about throwing themselves into harm’s way.

Gympie Constable Jeremy Gardiol and Senior Constable Kevin Mayo responded to a triple-0 call at the intersection of Tucker and Chapple streets at 7.10am this morning.

When they arrived, a man was inside an upturned car and flames were coming from underneath the bonnet.

“We didn’t think about anything else other than getting him out alive,” Con Garidol told The Courier-Mail.
“(Your own life) is always a concern but you can’t think about that, you just have to get to the person in the car.

“(Dying) does go through your mind mind but it’s not until afterwards that you realise the risk. I don’t have kids but if I did I imagine they would have been playing on my mind.”

Con Gardiol and Snr Con Mayo said they used their batons to smash through the windscreen during what felt like “a really long time”.

They then used their hands to tear away the laminated glass and pulled the victim through the hole to safety.

Seconds later, the car exploded into flames.

“He had a few bumps and bruises. I just told him to lay down in the back of the police car and we reversed him out of the possible explosion zone,” Con Gardiol said.

“It’s only now that I’m realising that we probably saved his life.”

Three hours later, Con Gardiol visited the hospital where the man was recovering.

“He had a lump on his head. He was very thankful and probably just realising we had saved him.”

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The young officer says he intends to celebrate by watching the State of Origin tonight.

EARLIER: Footage has emerged of police saving an elderly man from a burning overturned car in Gympie.

Just after 7am, police responded to a single vehicle crash on Chappel Street.

When they arrived, a senior constable and constable managed to smash through the windscreen and retrieve the man inside, just before it became engulfed in flames.

The 73-year-old driver and sole occupant was transported to Gympie Hospital with minor head injuries.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze a short time later.