Mum throws daughters from top-floor window to save them from house fire

A mother saved her three young children from a burning house by dropping them out of a bedroom window into the arms of their father.

As flames engulfed their family home, Cindy Rostigina threw her three young daughters one by one towards her partner 15ft below.

After making sure the girls, aged three, six, and nine, were safe Miss Rostigina jumped to the ground as thick smoke filled her home.

Amazingly, all three children and their parents managed to escaped from the fire unharmed.

Mr Hicks who was the first to jump out of the window landed on top of the gazebo which broke his fall.

Miss Rostigina suffered some minor injuries and shock but was given the all-clear after being checked by paramedics.

The shocked family, who were all dressed in their pyjamas, were taken in by a neighbour while fire crews raced to the scene to put the blaze out in the early hours of this morning.

Firefighters said the family, who were asleep when the house caught fire, were saved by a combination of their smoke alarm and quick-thinking.

Miss Rostigina, 26, said: 'I heard the smoke alarm go off and got up straight away and saw the smoke. All I could think about was Chloe, Paige and Abby.

'Amazingly they were still asleep. We got them out of their beds and took them to the front of the house, to Paige and Abby's bedroom.

Quick-thinking: Cindy Rostigina saved her three children by throwing them out of the window

'But the windows wouldn't open because they are pinned shut with child safety catches.

'So we went to Chloe's room at the back of the house because we knew we could open her window.

'We shut the door and then out of instinct Paul threw her mattress out of the window.

Damaged: The fire started in the sofa, seen here by the house.

'I think he forgot the gazebo was there because he jumped out first and crashed into it.

'He got up and stood on the table under the window and I passed the girls down one by one.

'Chloe went first and I was leaning out with one arm holding on to the window frame and the other lowering Chloe down.

Unharmed: Daughters (from left) Chloe, eight, Paige, five, and Abby, three

'Paul grabbed her legs, caught her and put her on the ground. We did the same with Paige and Abby.

'As I passed Abby down I could smell the smoke and I breathed some in. I knew I didn't have much time.

'I lowered myself down from the windowsill and my feet were just above the gazebo. I let go and crashed through it and Paul fell on top of me.

'I bruised my arm and my foot but otherwise we were all fine.'

She said the family are today staying with relatives but the children only have their pyjamas they were wearing at the time of the fire.

Mr Hicks, a 28-year-old door engineer, yesterday praised Miss Rostigina for saving the children at their home near Christchurch, Dorset.

Melted: The family's widescreen TV

He said: 'Cindy was great. She remained clam throughout and was fantastic. She made sure all the children were safe before she got out.'

Richard Coleman, a station manager for Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, said the family would have perished in the blaze had it not been for the smoke alarm.

He said: 'The family were woken by the smoke alarm and they all managed to escape from a first floor window.

'Without a doubt the smoke alarms saved this family's lives.

'Their quick thinking and swift actions to get out and stay out and call us means that they will live to see another day.

'The fact they had to jump from a top-floor window shows how severe the fire was and they are extremely lucky.

'If they did not have a fire alarm they would have died.'

The fire gutted the lounge of the three bedroom end of terrace house which was also badly smoke logged.