Fundraiser to “buy a beer” for hero who used crane to save man from burning building approaches £9k

A FUNDRAISER set up to “buy a beer” for the hero who used a crane to save a man from a burning building has raised nearly £9,000.

Glen Edwards became an instant lifesaver after lowering a crane down to a high-rise at One Station Hill in Reading, Berkshire last Thursday where a colleague was surrounded by flames.

The 65-year-old claimed he had been looking out his left window when he spotted the man desperate for an escape from the high-rise tower and lowered a cage to rescue him.

Incredible footage of the rescue shows the high-rise tower engulfed by flames which spiral to the top of the tower.

The camera zooms in on thick grey clouds of smoke billowing in the sky as a construction worker can be seen at the top of the tower.

Dangling down from the sky is a red crane arm, controlled by Glen, from which hangs a white cage, large enough for people to climb into.

The man can be seen urgently trying to pull the cage forward and open the door as Glen tries to swivel the crane around to open the jammed door.

Alarms can be heard sounding off in the background as the man manages to grab the cage with the plumes of smoke just centimetres from his face.

The man successfully manages to climb into the cage and the watching crowd cheer with joy as Glen swiftly lifts him to safety with just moments to spare.

A GoFundMe has now been set up for hero Glen, with locals determined for the funds to go towards buying him a well-earned pint.

At the time of writing, the fundraiser has currently reached a whopping £8,933 and shows no signs of stopping.

The average price of a pint in Reading is currently £3.70, leaving Glen with a beer fund for life, with the current cash pot able to bag him a whopping 2,414 pints of beer.

The fundraiser was set up by Jordan Grant on Friday, who wrote in the description: “We’ve all seen the video of the horrific fire on the high-rise construction site in Reading […]”

He added: “Thanks to the 65-year-old crane operator, who sent in the man basket and potentially saved a coworker(s) life.”

“[It] could have been any brother (or sister) of the hook stuck up there and miraculously no serious injuries recorded.

“Buy Glen a beer as a token of gratitude. A lot of fivers can go a long way.”

Many donors shared their respect for the hero as donations began to surge.

Samantha Demetriou wrote: “You have restored my faith in human beings. Thank you.”

Paul Fowler said: “A quick thinking, humble man who absolutely deserves the praise for this incredible rescue.

“Enjoy a couple of pints on me, you’ve got a lot to get through. Have a great Xmas and thank you for being brilliant.”

Ashley Morton commented: “This dear man is a hero and should have a wonderful Christmas – drinking as much beer as he wants.

“People like you, Glen, restore faith in human nature. Lots of love, Ash”.

Denise Taylor said of her donation: “On behalf of my son, as he used to work in the industry.

“It’s a hard game with high risks and we need more ‘Glens’ on each and every major construction project. Have a drink on us, Glen.”

Andrea Bennett added: “On behalf of my colleagues at Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service who attended this incident on Thursday, I’d like to echo the words of thanks already expressed, and to wish you well.”

To donate to this fundraiser, you can visit this link: https://gofund.me/d59394de