Sandy Drummond died after suffering a heart attack at a fire at the Crinan Hotel on the 29th October, 1978.
Fireman dies at hotel blaze
One fireman collapsed and died and a second was injured yesterday at a fire which badly damaged Crinan Hotel in Argyll.
Fireman Sandy Drummond, of Inveraray, died of a heart attack. He was not fighting the fire at the time but was standing near a tender when he took ill.
Seven years ago the hotel was destroyed by fire and later rebuilt.
(The Glasgow Herald, Monday, October 30, 1978. Page 1.)
Probe after fireman dies at hotel blaze
A Fireman died on Sunday after fire gutted the Crinan Hotel. It was the second blaze to hit the building in seven years.
The fireman who died was Mr Sandy Drummond of Inveraray. A second fireman, from Lochgilphead, had his arm broken. The only guest in the 24 room hotel escaped without injury.
An investigation was under way this week into the cause of the fire which destroyed the top floor and badly damaged the second. The ground and first floors were damaged by water and a team of salvage experts are working to save as much of the building’s fittings as possible.
The owner, Mr Nick Ryan, said the cost of the damage was impossible to estimate, though it would be “very high”. He was hoping to see a temporary roof installed by the end of this week.
The top floor of the hotel was burnt out in 1971.
Fireman Drummond collapsed shortly after units from Inveraray, Lochgilphead, Oban, Tarbert and Lochawe arrived on the scene. The cause of death has not yet been released.
Mr Drummond, who lived at Main Street East, Inveraray, was an electrician with the Argyll and Clyde Health Board. A former town and county councillor and magistrate, he was a noted member of the community. He used his electrical skills to help the local drama group. He is survived by his wife Helen, a nurse.
(The Oban Times, Thursday, November 2, 1978. Page 1.)
Death
DRUMMOND. _ Suddenly on October 29, 1978, Alexander Drummond, beloved husband of Ellen Johnson, Main Street, Inveraray, and oldest son of Mrs Margaret Drummond and the late Mr J. Drummond, Relief Land, Inveraray. Deeply mourned.
(The Oban Times, Thursday, November 2, 1978. Page ?.)
Mr Sandy
Drummond, a Retained Fireman from Inveraray Station, collapsed and died whilst
attending the recent fire which destroyed Crinan Hotel. A Brigade funeral was
held for him during the week.
(Dunoon Observer, Saturday, 4 November, 1978. Page 1.)
I spoke to
Retired Sub Officer Colin Clerk who was at the fire. He said the driver was in
in BA and Sandy was pump operator, he took a length of suction off for Colin to
take down to the Featherweight pump and when Colin returned 10mins later they
were working on Sandy but sadly he died.
(Retired Sub Officer Colin Clerk, O.I.C. Inveraray, 16/8/2008)
Sunday 13
September 2009 at the Annual United Kingdom Firefighters Service of Remembance
held at 12.00 in the Church of St Bartholomew the Great, West Smithfield in the
City of London, Alexander (Sandy) Drummond's name was added to the national
memorial outside St Pauls Cathedral.
A wreath was laid by a contingent from Strathclyde Fire & Rescue and relatives
of Sandy's.