Blind Army vet helps rescue family from burning yacht
He comes to aid before blast
Katie Wright at Daunte’s vigil
BLAZE Conwy Harbour
STATE troopers turn out in force to guard a police station yesterday as tensions continue to rise over the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by an officer. His death sparked protests and a curfew has been declared in Brooklyn Center in Minnesota. Police say the officer who shot the 20-year-old mistakenly drew her pistol instead of her Taser. Paying tribute to her son, inset, Mr Wright’s mother Katie, said he was an “amazing, loving kid” with a “big heart”. She added: “He had a two-year-old son that’s not going to be able to play basketball with him.”
Last night the Brooklyn Center police chief and the officer involved in the shooting both resigned.
A BLIND Army veteran of 82 battled a fire to save a family from their burning yacht just moments before it exploded.
Former soldier John Nicol was sailing with a friend when they spotted the burning yacht with a family-of-four on board.
The pair pulled a mother and her son from the yacht before handing a fire extinguisher to the dad. But ex-Royal
Electrical and Mechanical Engineer John said the father had to abandon The Allegra. John was sailing with a friend as part of North Wales Cruising Club to check if the boats were ready after winter when The Allegra – part of the flotilla – burst
CALM UNDER FIRE Ex-soldier John Nicol
Demonstrators vent fury at police at the start of curfew into flames. He said: “As we set out my friend pointed out the fire so we went over to help.”
After pulling the family aboard John calmly radioed for help and coastguard, police, and fire services were quickly at the scene.
John, of Llandudno, said: “I have sailed for 50 years and was a coastguard for 18, luckily, I know all the procedures. It was awful but luckily no one was hurt.” The yacht exploded in Conwy Harbour on April 3 as the pair were sailing to Puffin Island.
John lost his sight in 2015 due to optic neuropathy and glaucoma and has been supported by Blind Veterans UK since.
The skipper said the fire is thought to have been caused by an engine issue. He said: “We’re here – that’s the most important thing. Everyone was magnificent.”