Son forced to leave father before ‘wall of fire’, Grenfell inquiry told

A Grenfell Tower resident told of the moment he was forced to leave his immobile father in front of a “wall of fire” at the window to get help.

Samuel Daniels fled the 16th floor flat he shared with his father, 69-year-old Joseph Daniels, who had limited mobility, could not use stairs unaided and suffered from dementia.

The Grenfell inquiry was told that he grabbed his father and tried to persuade him to leave, but the former bodybuilder was frozen “in a daze”, and he was not strong enough to move him.

Joseph Daniels had not left his flat in the two months prior to the June 14 fire last year, his son recalled, adding that he did not feel it was safe for his father to live so high up given his poor health.

The elder man’s body was eventually found at the front door of the flat.

In a written statement to the public inquiry into the blaze, Samuel Daniels said: “I knew that I would have to get help.

“I ran to leave our flat and as I did I looked behind me and I could just see a wall of fire through the window behind my father. I shouted at him to come with me.”

Samuel Daniels, who cared for his father full-time, continued: “I opened the front door again and thick, black smoke came pouring in.

“I closed the door again and shouted at my dad: ‘Come on, come on. Get out.’

“He was not responding to me at all; he was in a daze.

“I opened the door again and more smoke came in. I was breathing it in and I could feel myself starting to lose consciousness.

“I realised that if I became unconscious we would both be dead.

“I covered my face with my hood and went out of the door into the corridor. I left the door open in case my father came behind me.”

Samuel Daniels ran down the stairs and met a fireman on what he was told was the 11th floor, telling him his father was still in their flat, had dementia and he had been unable to get him out.

He radioed for a crew to assist.

In five minutes four firemen arrived and went up the stairs, but returned within minutes reporting they could not tell what number floors they were on due to there being no signs.

After establishing they were on the 11th floor, the fire crew ascended for a second time, by which time Samuel Daniels said he “felt sure” his father was either unconscious or dead.

He later saw the fire crew running down the stairs looking “totally petrified” and as if they were “running for their lives”.

He said: “I asked the last one about my father. He said that they could not do anything.

“He told me no-one could go up there and I had to leave.

“I turned to the fireman I had been waiting with and he just said to me to get out.

“I ran with the firemen, and it felt like I was running away from my father.”

The inquiry has previously heard that the crew tasked with rescuing Joseph Daniels from the 16th floor helped a different resident who they believed was probably the father.

The crew stumbled upon a “coughing but conscious” man on the 16th floor, and helped him to the stairwell where he was able to escape unaided.

They continued to search the floor but heard no response to their calls, before dwindling oxygen supplies forced them to head back to safety.

A total of 71 people died in the blaze, with a 72nd victim dying months later in hospital.

The public inquiry is currently in its first phase, hearing from survivors, the bereaved and local residents at Holborn Bars, central London.