FIREFIGHTERS and an off-duty doctor revived a man and woman pulled from their burning house in a dramatic rescue.

Crews found an unconscious 85-year-old woman and 50-year-old man after they broke down the door to get into the house at The Green in Addingham on Friday evening.

Rescuers found the two – believed to be a mother and her son – were not breathing.

They carried them outside to the front garden and began first aid.

A doctor, whose mother was one of the first people on the scene, stepped in to offer his assistance.

David Eastwood, who recently worked in a busy accident and emergency department, put his skills to use, in what he described as a "terrifying experience".

He said: "It certainly was a dreadful experience, but in retrospect I was pleased to be in the right place at the right time to offer my assistance.

"My mother was one of the first on scene and made the 999 call. Shortly afterwards, she contacted me and I came running down the street with my father.

"When the fire brigade arrived, we were unsure as to whether the inhabitants of the house were inside or not. I mentioned to the fire officer – who was leading the team – of my medical background, and no more than a minute later I could see a man being carried out of the house and laid out onto the front garden.

"He wasn’t making a good respiratory effort so myself and the fire brigade began to aid his breathing with bag and mask ventilation. Shortly after this, the second casualty arrived."

And he praised the firefighters for their quick actions.

Mr Eastwood said: "Who knows what the outcome would have been if it had not been for the swift intervention of the fire service. With limited equipment, we stabilised the residents until more medical help arrived."

An ambulance took both the injured residents to Airedale General Hospital, before they were moved to a critical care unit. There has been no update on their condition this week.

The fire is said to have been initially spotted by a passing cyclist, who also raised the alarm at about 6.20pm.

Fire crews were immediately sent to the scene from Silsden and Keighley. A crew from Bingley also attended.

The crew from Keighley broke down the front door and began searching for the occupants, while the crew from Silsden tackled the flames.

Crew commander Neil Andrews-Parry said: "We had to force entry to get into the property – we had to break down the front door. We were quite effective in getting in quickly, and saved their lives."

About half the ground floor of the house is said to have been caught up in the fire, but it did not spread to any neighbouring properties.

People living nearby said smoke was billowing across the street.