Published Thursday, 26 January 2012
The drama unfolded in the early hours of Thursday morning after fire took hold of the Hightown property, trapping the 18-year-old mum and her one-year-old boy inside.
She woke up after smoke began to fill the building and managed to alert her father - who was sleeping downstairs.
As he went outside to call for help, neighbour Paul Lambe - whose house backs on to the property - saw the mum dangling the child from the window and calling for someone to catch it.
She said 'please catch him' and I said 'don't worry'
Paul Lambe
The 31-year-old fitness instructor ran from his house, clambered over two cars parked in the family's driveway, and arrived under the window just in time.
"I just saw the girl dangling the baby from the back window and asking for someone to catch it so I ran round," he told UTV.
"As the fire brigade were arriving I went round the side of the car and over the back fence and tried to calm the girl down because she was in hysterics.
"I went under the window but she dropped it to the side so I had to jump towards the wheelie bins and I caught him just in time."
The baby was given oxygen treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation.
Fire crews with breathing apparatus then entered the burning property and managed to rescue the trapped mother.
The woman and infant were both taken to hospital but are not believed to be seriously injured.
NIFRS Assistant Group Commander David Hayburn said the blaze developed rapidly but was largely confined to a downstairs hallway.
He said: "It was a small fire but it developed quite quickly on the ground floor cutting off the escape route for this girl.
"She was able to lower the baby out of the window to a waiting neighbour who took charge of it for her then passed it on to our crews and we started to administer some oxygen."
Fire crews remained at the scene for a time to ensure the fire was completely extinguished.