'I just wanted to get him out' - man who saved 89-year-old from burning home

One of the men who helped rescue an 89-year-old from his burning Gisborne home early on Saturday morning before quietly slipping away says he did not want to make a fuss about it.Local police hailed Tim Morris as a 'hero' yesterday after the rescue.The 37-year-old Gisborne man was driving on Aberdeen Road at about 1am on Saturday with a friend when they saw the blaze and pulled over.They were able to pull the 89-year-old through a broken window to safety, before checking to see if anyone else was in the property and going to neighbours for help.Police said the rescued man was recuperating well in hospital.Police said once emergency services arrived, Morris and his friend quietly slipped into the night. But he revealed his involvement after he saw an appeal from police for the hero to come forward."I just wanted to get him out," he said."It's been a bit emotional. At the end of the day, helping people makes me feel good."Detective Senior Sergeant John Love said the fact Morris did not want to make a fuss when he arrived at the Gisborne Police station on Sunday morning said a lot about him."However, thanks to his quick actions, the house occupant was able to escape a life-threatening situation."We put out an appeal because we wanted to find him, not because he was in any trouble. We wanted the opportunity to shake his hand and say 'thank you'. We got that opportunity today."He might not consider himself a hero, but his actions made a very real difference to another person on what must have been an incredibly frightening day."