My dad was a founding director of LEC and he was my boyhood hero. He taught me how to ride a motorbike in the fields behind the factory and when a teenager he took me in his Ferrari Dino for race laps round Goodwood. My best memory was of being picked up from boarding school in that Dino for a day out at Brands Hatch. David reversed at high speed out of the quad and did a handbrake flip around. RIP David. Hero.
Lets be clear here, yes Purley is a hero. It's clear to see from the raw emotion in this film. But don't attack the marshals for doing nothing. What could they do? They haven't got flame-proof suits so going into that fire and trying to flip the car would have been suicide. You saw the fire crews at the end of the film, fully kitted out and it still took them a while to put the fire out.
If anything I blame the race organisers for not being prepared, not the marshals.
David Purley eres un herore de verdad de los que muy pocos se encuentran, sin duda alguna Dios te lo recompenso, en 1985 falleciste a los 2 años nací y hoy en pocos días de cumplir mis 24 años de existencia mis ojos vieron la hazaña que hiciste para salvar a un amigo, ten en cuenta que tu amigo siempre te lo agradecerá, desde México mando saludos a las persona con buen corazon Dios los bendiga a todos. José Alfredo Jiménez Bautista
An excellente person, I think that many pilots must take this example of courage and brave, and kind, I have a feel of impotence when a I see that people just stand there and do nothing. He was a great human....my admiration.
What a great human being David Purley was, everytime i watch this i feel so much empathy for williamson and Purley . Purley looks so distraught , you want him to get williamson out of the car so badly even though you know the sad ending.
@Jadeee01 From what I've heard, when they drove past and saw Purley standing by the flaming car, they thought that it was him who had crashed and was out of the car safely.
@hhJACK92 yeah i heard it. but purley's car was not far away, actually it could've been clearly seen and what did they think why is he waveing and running up and down like an idiot? but at least later when lauda crashed there were already 4 of them saving him...
@heathey2 i know. Modern society is blinded by people like Justin Beiber and Lady Gaga they forget about true heroes like David Purley, Mike Hailwood, and Arturo Merzario.
Watching the footage of David Purley trying to help Roger Williamson out of the car is heart breaking beyond belief. I have seen it before but at the time it didn't occur to me just how incredibly brave his actions were. You know society is heading downhill when we worship entertainers who have millions of dollars and we don't pay nearly enough attention to true heroes like the great David Purley. If only I could be half the man he was. He is now a hero of mine Rest in peace to both of them.
A para, a F1 driver, a stunt pilot. Good looking, enigmatic and a truly brave and selfless man. RIP David ........ a truly Great Brit. RIP David Williamson too.
My Grandad Tony Alderton was a big part of David's life and travelled to all of his F1 races with him. My grandad passed away a few days ago and I'm now researching parts of his life. I was only a few months old when I met David and he was a very big part of my family's life. Watching this makes me feel very proud :)
Hello loopyloo220, thanks for sharing your thoughts, condolences for the loss of your Grandfather. David Purley was a remarkable man and I'm glad so many people think so ...
@loopyloo220 sorry to hear about your grandfather, you have met one of the most best man in the history of motorsports. I cant think of anyone that would do this...
I don't understand how you can have the balls to drive 100+ mph in a car that doesn't even have a roof and practically will disintegrate if it wrecks, but you won't attempt to assist flipping a burning car while wearing a fire resistant suit.
How many of you would stopped and helped? Or would you have been one of the assholes who kept racing? David Purley is a true hero. If two racers had stopped, they could probably have flipped that car since they had fire resistant suits on. Maybe Fred would hof had a chance. But nobody stopped.......................................How F'ed up is that?
@MrThor221 what pisses me off is you have one steward that runs past another two watching one kicking sand i mean if just one of those twats had helped push fred might of survived .
@crb2011 Personally, I am one of those "American NASCAR fans". I do respect all forms of racing, and dont see why people have to hate something else because its different. Some great f-1/Indy drivers have bombed in NASCAR. Its just different, that doesnt make it any less difficult, or as you put it, cheap.
I have massive respect for this man, David Purley. He showed himself to be as noble as any man could ever be, in the company of such cowardice. To all who seek the edge, its always close
je me rapelle j etait tres jeune et j ecouter le gp en direct et evidement l accident et apres tant d annees c est a mes yeux l accident le plus terrible que j ai pu voir et surtout voir la lachetee des autre pilotes et le systeme de secour, je pense que apres cette accident les service de securite se sont un peu + pris en mains ,mais d autres pilotes sont decedes entre temps . moi meme etant pilote je sait de quoi je parle, David Purley reste le symbole meme de l heroisme et du respect
Silverstone'77 was a pre-qualifying session where Purleys throttle jammed open at Becketts. The session wasn't televised so no footage exists. A photographer was on hand to photograph the scene, I have copies of a few of these photos but they fail to capture the drama of the event. DP's heart stopped several times during the 45min effort to free him from the wreckage, but fortunately a medical team kept him alive until he reached hospital. The wreckage & DP's spare car are @ Donnington Museum.
Airton Senna is alsow a noble human being he had saved life of Eric Comas,it was almost same situation,only person to stop car and help was him,everyone else just ceep on driving./watch?v=LLCFXlON_qw&feature=related
Wow, David was great! But it is horrible to see that he was the only one who stopped the car to safe a life! He was a great men! R.I.P. David and Roger!
its heartbreaking to see the video of him tryin to save his friend,, its almost as heartbreaking that the racecars kept buzzin by,,, how do not to pull over when you see a Brother racer upside down in flames and one man is tryin with all his heart to save this poor guy.... its disgusting,, David purley, youre a hero, and everyday must be painful
Purley deserves all the praise he's getting here and then some. I just hope that if I am ever tested, I act like him and not the guys who kept driving. I fear that most of us are the guys who keep driving.
This guy is amazing and brings me to tears with both pride and sadness.
I think the comments made reflect attitudes of the population, so i credit all those who don't think of excuses for those who didnt help. those are the people who like purley value life as the most precious commodity we have. We need more heroes, less excuses!
the clothing comments defending marshalls and race officials is very annoying. As a racer myself I can say that yes our race overalls are made of nomex which as correctly stated is designed not to burn however they are not fire suits. He would have felt and had to battle the heat to get close to the car to try help save his friend. The suits are designed to give you a small amount of time to escape your car, not to allow you to sit in fire. He is a true hero, makes me sick no one helped him.
@volatilefists, he's the only one with protective clothing and the marshals were woefully underequipped. As you can see, the fire extinguisher he's using seems to be the only one around. Don't blame the marshals, blame the organizers.
that is what a real hero looks like! i get furious when the steward pushes him away..he just wanted to help his fellow human. I would never be able to live a normal life after seeing that. I can't believe how helpless he must have felt when nobody else tried to do anything. He even have to run and get the extinguisher from the steward himself. So sad :( R.I.P. both of them
Why the marshalls are cowards? In those day they are not so professional like now a days. In those days they are poorly equipped. (no fire protection shirts etc)
Also the tracks where dangerous, the cars etc. Now its much safer. Sadly this happend, but keep it realistic with the comments.
@Schaikkie It's cowardice, plain and simple, spineless, no reasonable human being would stand by and listen to someone screaming in a fireball without making any effort to help. They could have saved the driver, possibly, but it's also bad that he didn't get help from the other drivers, who were wearing at least some fire protection.
man, i really would like to know who said the last phrase of the video! it's a lesson, a direction to everyone, especialy people like me, who wants to be a doctor(physician), you know, "don't stand still, do something! at least you're trying to help."
that is truly amazing risking death burns he gave everything he had with no help he deserved more then a award he deserved some real help on that day he would have taken that to his grave but he did everything humanly possible and they just watched him its just not good enough
i was at this race, but the otherside of the track. i was only 13 yrs old then, but remember it vividly. it was very sad especially when we found out williamson had died
While I may understand to a point the race not being stopped I surely don't understand the other drivers just flying by the accident scene as David Purley tries to get them to stop. Nor do I understand why the marshalls didn't try to help him. They could see the problem and to just stand there and watch as a man burns to death is beyond me. God be with you Roger Williamson and David Perley.
however the other drivers had not responsability; with all that smoke it was impossible for them to understand if roger was still in the car...but the organizer of the race was under the low level of security of 1973...just one fire estinghuiser for 4 marshall? and the wasn'stopped. r.i.pi. for both the drivers. Enzo Ferrari in one of his book said tha Williamson was one of the finest drivers of his genertaion
on the other hand, i really wouldn't know if i would stop, first of all you really go quite fast passed the wreck, so you can't really see the severety of the crash, second, if you were in a fierce duel with someone... i don't know...
My grandfather was the general manager for LEC refridgeration which was the company that the Purleys owned, my grandfather had arranged with David for me to go up in his Pitts 2 seater. I was actually on the beach in Bognor Regis when his plane crashed, i remember running the mile to my granfathers house to tell him the news, did not occur to me until much later that I could have been on that plane. A Great British hero, selfless and passionate. R.I.P. David Purley R.I.P. Grandad.
A remarkable show of bravery and compassion and sportsmanship. I remember hearing about it when it happened in '73. Indeed, RIP David Purley. The right stuff.
As a reasonable precaution, whenever a car is burning-the red flag should come out at once. Also, it should always be assumed that the driver is in the car until PROVEN otherwise.
Wasn't there a similar situation at Monaco in '67 when poor Bandini was fatally burned because the officials didn't realize he was still in the car?
Yes racing is dangerous, drivers accept the risk. But it seems to me that some (like Williamson, and Bandini) died NEEDLESSLY.
"Williamson had not been seriously injured by the impact, and was heard shouting to Purley to get him out of the car as Purley tried in vain to turn the car upright. Initially the commentators on Dutch TV, race control and some of the other drivers participating in the race assumed that it was Purley's car that had crashed and that the driver had escaped unharmed. As a result the race continued at full pace while Purley desperately tried to save the life of his friend."
Utterly, utterly ridiculous that the race was not stopped. Drivers were driving through thick black smoke - that in itself was a severe hazard. This was one badly run race. Were the "organisers" asleep or pissed in the bar?
"Fuck those other bastards still racing! Purley is a hero, the other racers are a bunch of ego-centered fuckers still trying to win!
RIP Williamson & RIP Purley "
Very well said Anargie! Life ist first and more important than any other thing, even F1 racing.
David Purley is a big big hero, one of the greatest F1 heroes... his action was be awesome, showing his brave heart, and also the bad and poor stewards work.
yes but in 1973 the marshals hadn't fire resistent clothes and the other drivers only see purly an a damage car they were thinking that car is purlys car but at a picture in another video you can see some meters away from the burning car a firetruck with firemens but they didnt help because they had the command:don't drive aigainst the drive direction and of course purley is a real hero
@tuso2k6 so true! the balls and reaction of him to stop what he was doing risk his own life crossing the track to try and save another fellow racer/friend. I feel so bad for him watching him struggle to save him knowing he cannot do anything. I prey Williamson was unconcious and died without pain but somehow I have a feeling he didnt :'(
I saw a TV-documentation in 2003 with an interview Niki Lauda gave after the race. He clearly stated - asked why he didn`t help Purley - the he is payed for racing, not for saving lifes.
If Merzario, Edwards, Ertl and Lunger would have acted that way in 76, 223 other innocent people whould still be alive......
Well as sick as this sounds: I can only hope his decision in 73 came to Laudas mind for a few moments in 76 when he very nearly burned to death imself even though he was fortunately saved by selfless individuals who reacted like Purley.
david purley a true hero a brave man how many drivers would stop their own race run across a busy race track with cars screaming past to help a fellow driver as we no one else bothered if they had it might not of saved williamsons life but it would of shown compassion and saved him from that horrible fire its truely terrible and the world would be better off with more ppl like david purley god bless his and rogers family rest in peace david your a hero
nice tribute,I saw david flying his pitts at selsey bill,doing rolls and loops for his own fun,although I did not know it was david purley at the time,for some reason I thought that if the plane crashed I could wade out in the sea and save the pilot! the plane then flew down the coast to brighton, ten minutes later the plane crashed in to the sea killing the pilot.Ididnt know this till i came home and it was announced on the local news,seeing your film brought it all back to me.
'purley's a dead dieing breed'........great lyrics and so fucking true.......no fucker gives a fuck about anything other than themselves into the 21st century........the world, it's all fucked.
This is one of the best tribute videos on all of Youtube. I plan on making a video soon on David Purley, but I know it will not be as good as this video.
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its sick to watch that the other drivers saw the accident and did nothing about it. they cared more about winning than one mans life. its sick. if the other drivers would have stopped Williamson might have lived. shame..
seems to me you had as much time to think about the comment you made as the other drivers did to react to what they saw when they came round the bend at 100 mph + and passed the scene within seconds, all they see is a flash as they are concentrating on the road ahead, the times, the fuel of their cars, if they stopped every time they saw a flash of an accident, theyd never end a race. I dont have no hard feelings against the other racers at all.
I wonderfull tribute to a great man and a still shoking reminder of how the sport has come over the last 39 years.
theduckofevil 1 week ago
Great driver and an even greater person David was amazing and is missed much.
thatguru877 1 month ago
Great respect David.
senna60 1 month ago
Best human i've ever seen!
wdowa94 2 months ago
watch jackie stewart drive by this great man David Purley yes a true hero a great legend in the true meaning of the word.
mackinl 3 months ago
I can only echo everyones sentiments, what a brave, selfless, remarkable man, he has my greatest respect.
meppo5000 5 months ago
If only everyone else was a bit more like David Purley
killer600000 5 months ago 3
U_u !!!
hOlyNxon 6 months ago
Apesar de ser uma época em que muitos pilotos morreram, era uma época que a união prevalecia.
A falta de segurança só não era maior que a coragem, a perseverança e o amor pelos colegas que existia dentro dos corações destes bravos pilotos.
Valeu Purley!!!
......From BRASIL!!!
diego198544 6 months ago
My dad was a founding director of LEC and he was my boyhood hero. He taught me how to ride a motorbike in the fields behind the factory and when a teenager he took me in his Ferrari Dino for race laps round Goodwood. My best memory was of being picked up from boarding school in that Dino for a day out at Brands Hatch. David reversed at high speed out of the quad and did a handbrake flip around. RIP David. Hero.
esotericist 6 months ago
just watched "the killing years" on the bbc and this footage made me cry,thank god for people like David purley and J Stewart.
colchesterpete2 6 months ago
Lets be clear here, yes Purley is a hero. It's clear to see from the raw emotion in this film. But don't attack the marshals for doing nothing. What could they do? They haven't got flame-proof suits so going into that fire and trying to flip the car would have been suicide. You saw the fire crews at the end of the film, fully kitted out and it still took them a while to put the fire out.
If anything I blame the race organisers for not being prepared, not the marshals.
Still a very moving film.
georgemetric 6 months ago 2
Thank god for people like David, such a selfless act of bravery very moving!!!
georgenorthwood 6 months ago 3
What a brave man -
SuperPaulDonnelly 6 months ago
His gesture has touched me.
A brave man, who tried to save his friend at that time without worrying about the threat ..
Rest in peace.
Fabione77 7 months ago
I almost cried though I didn't know him before this video. The security and emergency help must be ashamed of themselves !! Purley is such a hero !!
coopaing 7 months ago
J'en ai eu les larme au yeux de voire une telle amitier entre deux pilote
chazame83 7 months ago
I will never forget you, David, you are still alive.
CaxiasFreguesia 8 months ago
11 people are family of the officers that doesn't wanted to help to save Roger!
karl0uz 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
David Purley died in a plane crash, and his body was never found...
Jommi10 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
... Your efforts and its only ten thousand dead eyes I guess the fire ...
my breath is so breathless in front of these images.
The pilot rescuer a great man who deserves to be known in the journey of life.
Maurizio Spagna
Mauriziospag 8 months ago
David Purley eres un herore de verdad de los que muy pocos se encuentran, sin duda alguna Dios te lo recompenso, en 1985 falleciste a los 2 años nací y hoy en pocos días de cumplir mis 24 años de existencia mis ojos vieron la hazaña que hiciste para salvar a un amigo, ten en cuenta que tu amigo siempre te lo agradecerá, desde México mando saludos a las persona con buen corazon Dios los bendiga a todos. José Alfredo Jiménez Bautista
19874208 8 months ago
David Purley...you are the essence of Humanity!!
MarkPitkin 8 months ago
Never heard of him because he is before my age. After seeing this biography: Respect, love and Honour for this Hero. Beautifull person.
resurractionkt 9 months ago
An excellente person, I think that many pilots must take this example of courage and brave, and kind, I have a feel of impotence when a I see that people just stand there and do nothing. He was a great human....my admiration.
theevomex 9 months ago
What a great human being David Purley was, everytime i watch this i feel so much empathy for williamson and Purley . Purley looks so distraught , you want him to get williamson out of the car so badly even though you know the sad ending.
LarryLinton 10 months ago
Why didn't the other pilots stop and help?? They could have save him. shame
Jadeee01 11 months ago
@Jadeee01 From what I've heard, when they drove past and saw Purley standing by the flaming car, they thought that it was him who had crashed and was out of the car safely.
hhJACK92 9 months ago
@hhJACK92 yeah i heard it. but purley's car was not far away, actually it could've been clearly seen and what did they think why is he waveing and running up and down like an idiot? but at least later when lauda crashed there were already 4 of them saving him...
Jadeee01 9 months ago
That footage never ceases to bring me sadness and rage. David Purley was a true sportsman, hero, and man amongst men....
gmctech 11 months ago
This has always bothered me to watch, the emergency response is so slow, and burning to death is probably one of the worst ways to go.
Ralroost 11 months ago
what more can i say the frustration in the man when the rest stood around like lemons
while willamson burnt, David purley TRUE HERO R,I,P
lazylolski 11 months ago
The fire extinguisher had no effect on the fire - was it faulty???
maninthestreet01 11 months ago
@maninthestreet01 Fire was burning out of control... would've been like trying to pee on a forest fire
Suprahampton 9 months ago
david purley deserved the george medal he got for trying to save williamsons life.utter respect .r.i.p
machman36 11 months ago
Purley=brave
thenascarguy24 11 months ago
@heathey2 i know. Modern society is blinded by people like Justin Beiber and Lady Gaga they forget about true heroes like David Purley, Mike Hailwood, and Arturo Merzario.
thenascarguy24 11 months ago
It was Williamson's SECOND race in F1 before he DIED. Others still tried to win, what an idiots. Rest In Peace
mutteriwiritys 1 year ago
R.I.P Roger Williamson
Notchism88 1 year ago
R.I.P in David Purley
Notchism88 1 year ago
Watching the footage of David Purley trying to help Roger Williamson out of the car is heart breaking beyond belief. I have seen it before but at the time it didn't occur to me just how incredibly brave his actions were. You know society is heading downhill when we worship entertainers who have millions of dollars and we don't pay nearly enough attention to true heroes like the great David Purley. If only I could be half the man he was. He is now a hero of mine Rest in peace to both of them.
heathey2 1 year ago
A para, a F1 driver, a stunt pilot. Good looking, enigmatic and a truly brave and selfless man. RIP David ........ a truly Great Brit. RIP David Williamson too.
Great tribute video.
TheEnoughisEnough 1 year ago
screw mark webber, purley was, is and always will be the greatest f1 driver in the history of mankind
somuchhorsepower 1 year ago
what program was used to edit this?
MotorsportRevolution 1 year ago
My Grandad Tony Alderton was a big part of David's life and travelled to all of his F1 races with him. My grandad passed away a few days ago and I'm now researching parts of his life. I was only a few months old when I met David and he was a very big part of my family's life. Watching this makes me feel very proud :)
loopyloo220 1 year ago 20
@loopyloo220
Hello loopyloo220, thanks for sharing your thoughts, condolences for the loss of your Grandfather. David Purley was a remarkable man and I'm glad so many people think so ...
Rezodozer
rezodozer 1 year ago 4
@loopyloo220 UN GRAN EJEMPLO DE HUMANIDAD, UN HEROE MODERNO. SALUDOS DESDE PERU
cortomaltes1971 1 year ago
@loopyloo220 sorry to hear about your grandfather, you have met one of the most best man in the history of motorsports. I cant think of anyone that would do this...
Notchism88 1 year ago
@loopyloo220 In case you didn't know, and i'm sure you did, David Purley is burried in St.Nicholas's Churchyard in Itchenor, West Sussex.
Worth a visit if you havn't done already.
biffbiff99 6 months ago
Un bellissimo esempio di umanità! riposi in pace!
MrRemix88 1 year ago
i got respect for purley rip williamson and purley
mtac02 1 year ago
I don't understand how you can have the balls to drive 100+ mph in a car that doesn't even have a roof and practically will disintegrate if it wrecks, but you won't attempt to assist flipping a burning car while wearing a fire resistant suit.
samuraiinblack 1 year ago
How many of you would stopped and helped? Or would you have been one of the assholes who kept racing? David Purley is a true hero. If two racers had stopped, they could probably have flipped that car since they had fire resistant suits on. Maybe Fred would hof had a chance. But nobody stopped.......................................How F'ed up is that?
MrThor221 1 year ago
@MrThor221 what pisses me off is you have one steward that runs past another two watching one kicking sand i mean if just one of those twats had helped push fred might of survived .
TheLloydA1 1 year ago
That was an awesome tribute to Purley. The footage, editing and music were all top notch and Purley definitely deserves it. Great job.
drphibeswhatever 1 year ago
Purley um verdadeiro heroi!
RIP Purley from Brazil.
rodstarful 1 year ago
example of a hero
R.I.P Roger and R.I.P David
--RESPECT DAVID PURLEY--
Tiaguinhow3 1 year ago
A pilot with a good heart...
wandov8 1 year ago
RIP from the USA great driver and hero I love f1 I dont know why so many americans like nascar and not f1 racing. Nascar sucks its cheap and gay.
crb2011 1 year ago
@crb2011 Personally, I am one of those "American NASCAR fans". I do respect all forms of racing, and dont see why people have to hate something else because its different. Some great f-1/Indy drivers have bombed in NASCAR. Its just different, that doesnt make it any less difficult, or as you put it, cheap.
I have massive respect for this man, David Purley. He showed himself to be as noble as any man could ever be, in the company of such cowardice. To all who seek the edge, its always close
snappy452 1 year ago
Can`t believe 11 motherfuckers didn`t like the video ..
ThreeLions89 1 year ago
je me rapelle j etait tres jeune et j ecouter le gp en direct et evidement l accident et apres tant d annees c est a mes yeux l accident le plus terrible que j ai pu voir et surtout voir la lachetee des autre pilotes et le systeme de secour, je pense que apres cette accident les service de securite se sont un peu + pris en mains ,mais d autres pilotes sont decedes entre temps . moi meme etant pilote je sait de quoi je parle, David Purley reste le symbole meme de l heroisme et du respect
MrGILREED 1 year ago
HERO.
atoledo2004 1 year ago
da brividi!
gianpiereddu 1 year ago
I´m crying,this is so sad :(
Why are they so fucking drivers not help someone in this situation.
David Purley is a great hero!
R.I.P- Williamson
R.I.P Purley
R.I.P Two great f1 drivers.
f1racing1996 1 year ago
He had a very bad crash at silverstone 1977 wich he barely survived. Is there footage of it?
kevintje82onboard 1 year ago 3
Silverstone'77 was a pre-qualifying session where Purleys throttle jammed open at Becketts. The session wasn't televised so no footage exists. A photographer was on hand to photograph the scene, I have copies of a few of these photos but they fail to capture the drama of the event. DP's heart stopped several times during the 45min effort to free him from the wreckage, but fortunately a medical team kept him alive until he reached hospital. The wreckage & DP's spare car are @ Donnington Museum.
rezodozer 1 year ago
@kevintje82onboard you may know he survived 179.8g. that is an instant death. and he LIVED
somuchhorsepower 1 year ago
@kevintje82onboard i reads that he broke most of the bones in his body as he went from 108 mph to 0 in just 23 inches or so in that accident
Conneisseur2 5 months ago
The hero of formula 1 is David purley.
RIP
poussyledzep 1 year ago
DAVID PURLEY mi unico heroe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! saludos de arg!.
La gran carrera que PURLEY gano corriendo con sus pies, lo transformo en mi heroe, los demas son cobardes.
MultiCristian1 1 year ago
Airton Senna is alsow a noble human being he had saved life of Eric Comas,it was almost same situation,only person to stop car and help was him,everyone else just ceep on driving./watch?v=LLCFXlON_qw&feature=related
obrad79 1 year ago
Wow, David was great! But it is horrible to see that he was the only one who stopped the car to safe a life! He was a great men! R.I.P. David and Roger!
smileynicole 1 year ago
its heartbreaking to see the video of him tryin to save his friend,, its almost as heartbreaking that the racecars kept buzzin by,,, how do not to pull over when you see a Brother racer upside down in flames and one man is tryin with all his heart to save this poor guy.... its disgusting,, David purley, youre a hero, and everyday must be painful
IRONSEAN7 1 year ago
Purley deserves all the praise he's getting here and then some. I just hope that if I am ever tested, I act like him and not the guys who kept driving. I fear that most of us are the guys who keep driving.
pablo4115 1 year ago
This guy is amazing and brings me to tears with both pride and sadness.
I think the comments made reflect attitudes of the population, so i credit all those who don't think of excuses for those who didnt help. those are the people who like purley value life as the most precious commodity we have. We need more heroes, less excuses!
LorenWish 1 year ago
I will burn my hands for you my friend...
David Purley Respect...
lexisalive 1 year ago 2
R.I.P. from germany
You are a real Hero!!!!!
aedogins 1 year ago
the clothing comments defending marshalls and race officials is very annoying. As a racer myself I can say that yes our race overalls are made of nomex which as correctly stated is designed not to burn however they are not fire suits. He would have felt and had to battle the heat to get close to the car to try help save his friend. The suits are designed to give you a small amount of time to escape your car, not to allow you to sit in fire. He is a true hero, makes me sick no one helped him.
0iangell 2 years ago
RIP David, you were great!!
Never forget!!
Spidergeise 2 years ago 2
thats as real as it gets the marshalls were all pussies and dave was the only guy there with the balls to try and help save a life. good on ya mate
volatilefists 2 years ago
@volatilefists, he's the only one with protective clothing and the marshals were woefully underequipped. As you can see, the fire extinguisher he's using seems to be the only one around. Don't blame the marshals, blame the organizers.
Arska777999 2 years ago
minute 1:44 / 45, a skull ¡¡ O.O
gambiter0 2 years ago
@gambiter0
wow nice vision skills ^^
thorpgm 2 years ago
that is what a real hero looks like! i get furious when the steward pushes him away..he just wanted to help his fellow human. I would never be able to live a normal life after seeing that. I can't believe how helpless he must have felt when nobody else tried to do anything. He even have to run and get the extinguisher from the steward himself. So sad :( R.I.P. both of them
racoonfish 2 years ago 4
I'll will never forget David trying to evacuate Roger.
vitru1111 2 years ago 6
"There goes my hero!"
olavoep 2 years ago
one to remenber
Notchism88 2 years ago 2
Why the marshalls are cowards? In those day they are not so professional like now a days. In those days they are poorly equipped. (no fire protection shirts etc)
Also the tracks where dangerous, the cars etc. Now its much safer. Sadly this happend, but keep it realistic with the comments.
Schaikkie 2 years ago
@Schaikkie It's cowardice, plain and simple, spineless, no reasonable human being would stand by and listen to someone screaming in a fireball without making any effort to help. They could have saved the driver, possibly, but it's also bad that he didn't get help from the other drivers, who were wearing at least some fire protection.
endlessnameless16 2 years ago
The marshalls shown in this video are cowards and should burn in hell for eternity!
talonted4g64 2 years ago 2
A true gentleman. What a valiant effort he gave to save roger. RIP. The most courageous and selfless act I have ever seen in motorsport.
talonted4g64 2 years ago 3
Truly a heroic albeit futile moment, and a testament to how far motorsports have come with regards to safety.
lemonofjustice 2 years ago
those marshals are an utter embarrasment to motorsport. i hope there arent still people like that in motorsport.
pedaltodametal 2 years ago 2
man, i really would like to know who said the last phrase of the video! it's a lesson, a direction to everyone, especialy people like me, who wants to be a doctor(physician), you know, "don't stand still, do something! at least you're trying to help."
mauriciowb 2 years ago
hero ... [+]
Wyrzykpl 2 years ago
Much respect for this man , i would be by his side
Notchism88 2 years ago 3
"I think that we could have something else, we could have done something MORE for Roger"
The organizers and the track marshalls viewed it in a different way.
It was the most shameless death in the history of F1.
You are the greatest hero, David Purley!
FranHu75 2 years ago 4
David Purley Rulez!
kingelvis24 2 years ago
that was torture watching that guy try to help. i would have been right by his side. unlike those ass holes just watching the guy burn.
2889joeracer 2 years ago 10
to be fair he had the protective gear and they didn't.
TheCJY42 2 years ago
even tho the marshals didn't do anything YOU can see that they were trying to stop the other cars that was just driving by! and later David tried too
i can't understand why..why so many mistakes were made... and there was just ONE MAN WHO WAS THINKING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO WAS BURNING ALIVE ! why...
blackdoog777 2 years ago
Caro David, che il tuo esempio di umanità, coraggio e compassione sia vivo per sempre in noi. Ti voglio bene, Andrea
trend775 2 years ago 2
Comment removed
trend775 2 years ago
They talk about sports people being heroes but they are just talented.
David Purley is a true hero,he risked personal injury to help a fellow competitor whilst marshalls did fuck all the pissweak cowards.
R.I.P.Roger Williamson and David Purley.
FordFalconXE351 2 years ago 4
that is truly amazing risking death burns he gave everything he had with no help he deserved more then a award he deserved some real help on that day he would have taken that to his grave but he did everything humanly possible and they just watched him its just not good enough
ToGoRightGoHolden 2 years ago 2
well said
Notchism88 2 years ago
i was at this race, but the otherside of the track. i was only 13 yrs old then, but remember it vividly. it was very sad especially when we found out williamson had died
laciudadelaluz 2 years ago
did purley crash or help the guy?
katerdern 2 years ago
help the poor guy, damn it!
kingelvis24 2 years ago
David Purley, a real hero.A great guy with a big heart ,words are not enough to describe David.Too bad we don't have many people like David Purley.
razvi01 2 years ago 3
While I may understand to a point the race not being stopped I surely don't understand the other drivers just flying by the accident scene as David Purley tries to get them to stop. Nor do I understand why the marshalls didn't try to help him. They could see the problem and to just stand there and watch as a man burns to death is beyond me. God be with you Roger Williamson and David Perley.
dave0028 2 years ago 2
very touching video
however the other drivers had not responsability; with all that smoke it was impossible for them to understand if roger was still in the car...but the organizer of the race was under the low level of security of 1973...just one fire estinghuiser for 4 marshall? and the wasn'stopped. r.i.pi. for both the drivers. Enzo Ferrari in one of his book said tha Williamson was one of the finest drivers of his genertaion
Jansauber1 2 years ago
Purley made me cry.... bravo Purley you are a hero...
marios152 2 years ago
The heroes exist.
saverio18enne 2 years ago
David Purley is a real hero.
We will never forget him
coennulft 2 years ago 24
what is name of music?
anders7son 2 years ago
The song is called 'Purley' by the band 'Fraction'
clarkeyfingers 2 years ago
I agree, but remember he's the only one with a the gear to substain fire...
KDEBP 2 years ago 4
Dear Lord he was telling them to HELP,and they were completly DUMBS!!!
He really did the right thing...aplause for David Purley.
angeles37 2 years ago 2
RIP Williamson & RIP Purley
AlvaroParedesUfo 2 years ago
A true hero
R.I.P
vfr97r 2 years ago
one of the best PERSONS F1 has ever known!
on the other hand, i really wouldn't know if i would stop, first of all you really go quite fast passed the wreck, so you can't really see the severety of the crash, second, if you were in a fierce duel with someone... i don't know...
anyway, purley was the best!!!
M3addicted 2 years ago 3
yh but if it was on FUCKINF FIRE? and tyhe driver wasnt out the car..wtf would you do?
MyDixieRekked 2 years ago
My grandfather was the general manager for LEC refridgeration which was the company that the Purleys owned, my grandfather had arranged with David for me to go up in his Pitts 2 seater. I was actually on the beach in Bognor Regis when his plane crashed, i remember running the mile to my granfathers house to tell him the news, did not occur to me until much later that I could have been on that plane. A Great British hero, selfless and passionate. R.I.P. David Purley R.I.P. Grandad.
ramus73 2 years ago
A remarkable show of bravery and compassion and sportsmanship. I remember hearing about it when it happened in '73. Indeed, RIP David Purley. The right stuff.
wojo403 2 years ago
As a reasonable precaution, whenever a car is burning-the red flag should come out at once. Also, it should always be assumed that the driver is in the car until PROVEN otherwise.
Wasn't there a similar situation at Monaco in '67 when poor Bandini was fatally burned because the officials didn't realize he was still in the car?
Yes racing is dangerous, drivers accept the risk. But it seems to me that some (like Williamson, and Bandini) died NEEDLESSLY.
a300mech 2 years ago
"Williamson had not been seriously injured by the impact, and was heard shouting to Purley to get him out of the car as Purley tried in vain to turn the car upright. Initially the commentators on Dutch TV, race control and some of the other drivers participating in the race assumed that it was Purley's car that had crashed and that the driver had escaped unharmed. As a result the race continued at full pace while Purley desperately tried to save the life of his friend."
Poor lad
PuffPastryHangman83 2 years ago
He´s a hero!
LDlala23 2 years ago
Utterly, utterly ridiculous that the race was not stopped. Drivers were driving through thick black smoke - that in itself was a severe hazard. This was one badly run race. Were the "organisers" asleep or pissed in the bar?
Gruntol5 3 years ago 4
"Fuck those other bastards still racing! Purley is a hero, the other racers are a bunch of ego-centered fuckers still trying to win!
RIP Williamson & RIP Purley "
Very well said Anargie! Life ist first and more important than any other thing, even F1 racing.
David Purley is a big big hero, one of the greatest F1 heroes... his action was be awesome, showing his brave heart, and also the bad and poor stewards work.
RIP Roger Williamson, a sad day for motor racing
RIP David Purley, a hero!
tuso2k6 3 years ago 28
@tuso2k6
yes but in 1973 the marshals hadn't fire resistent clothes and the other drivers only see purly an a damage car they were thinking that car is purlys car but at a picture in another video you can see some meters away from the burning car a firetruck with firemens but they didnt help because they had the command:don't drive aigainst the drive direction and of course purley is a real hero
sorry for my bad englisch iam from germany
DAPE8 1 year ago
@tuso2k6 The others were thinking that it was Purleys car burning and he was safe. They didn't know that it was Williamson.
Rolexsaki 1 year ago
@tuso2k6 so true! the balls and reaction of him to stop what he was doing risk his own life crossing the track to try and save another fellow racer/friend. I feel so bad for him watching him struggle to save him knowing he cannot do anything. I prey Williamson was unconcious and died without pain but somehow I have a feeling he didnt :'(
tomkkkkk 1 year ago
I saw a TV-documentation in 2003 with an interview Niki Lauda gave after the race. He clearly stated - asked why he didn`t help Purley - the he is payed for racing, not for saving lifes.
If Merzario, Edwards, Ertl and Lunger would have acted that way in 76, 223 other innocent people whould still be alive......
stiste13 3 years ago 3
Well as sick as this sounds: I can only hope his decision in 73 came to Laudas mind for a few moments in 76 when he very nearly burned to death imself even though he was fortunately saved by selfless individuals who reacted like Purley.
Kieronoldham 2 years ago
Fuck those other bastards still racing! Purley is a hero, the other racers are a bunch of ego-centered fuckers still trying to win!
RIP Williamson & RIP Purley
Anargie 3 years ago 6
david purley a true hero a brave man how many drivers would stop their own race run across a busy race track with cars screaming past to help a fellow driver as we no one else bothered if they had it might not of saved williamsons life but it would of shown compassion and saved him from that horrible fire its truely terrible and the world would be better off with more ppl like david purley god bless his and rogers family rest in peace david your a hero
fenboydave 3 years ago 5
nice tribute,I saw david flying his pitts at selsey bill,doing rolls and loops for his own fun,although I did not know it was david purley at the time,for some reason I thought that if the plane crashed I could wade out in the sea and save the pilot! the plane then flew down the coast to brighton, ten minutes later the plane crashed in to the sea killing the pilot.Ididnt know this till i came home and it was announced on the local news,seeing your film brought it all back to me.
jawa597 3 years ago
those marshall are retarded!! i wonder if we'll need the fire extinguisher to put this fire out??!!
DaveBaldwin123 3 years ago 2
Hey! Rezodozer! What else you got?
clarkeyfingers 3 years ago
5 stars for David
SarenWRC 3 years ago 4
Very moving pictures. A true hero who tragically lost his own life 12 years later in a stunt plane accident.
beeDUB75 3 years ago 6
If we don't risk we rot.
clarkeyfingers 3 years ago 2
1:48 that was Roger Williamson crashing but David Purly was the one who helped i think right
Those other people should of helped Roger also, whoever didnt help Roger is and always will a fucking ass hole
airforce1996wpb 3 years ago 6
This has been flagged as spam show
i didn't help roger. i hadn't been born yet.
jimmicampkin 3 years ago
A true hero
markf9572 3 years ago 6
what a kind hearted brave man.Its not amazing what he has done ie saving his fellow being.Although what is amazing is not saving their fellow being.
saker110 3 years ago 5
The reason the other drivers didn't stop is because they thought it was Dave Purley's car on fire and that he had got out.
trebor8833 3 years ago 4
It's incredible that the others drivers didn't stop to help him in his heroic effort..
what a great man!
MaverickU2 3 years ago 4
an angel!!!
entagg 3 years ago 3
Quest'uomo è un eroe
jeegrobot72 3 years ago
Listening to the live report in dutch gives me goose bumps... and hardly anything does.
David R.I.P.
remkoensink 3 years ago
this man deserves to be called hero
mcyamineko 3 years ago 12
Or deserves to be called a human. Ecce Homo ;).
albintxu 3 years ago
if surely you are right
mcyamineko 3 years ago
no, he's a real man the others are not. The most.
allanhold 3 years ago 4
'purley's a dead dieing breed'........great lyrics and so fucking true.......no fucker gives a fuck about anything other than themselves into the 21st century........the world, it's all fucked.
pompeyblues 3 years ago 10
wow, he was an amazing man
charly5247 3 years ago
Oh, he died too?So sad. RIP Mr Purley.....I was moved to tears watching him desperately try to get Mr Williamson out of that car.. x
alilinzee 3 years ago 3
This is one of the best tribute videos on all of Youtube. I plan on making a video soon on David Purley, but I know it will not be as good as this video.
zzzbbbccc 3 years ago
I saw DAVID race Formula 2 here in the Philippines prior to his entry to F1.
Such a heroic act....
gnb72 3 years ago
I saw DAVID race prior to
gnb72 3 years ago
this is probably the most depressing thing ever. its people like david purley who i want to end up like.
synystersevilheir 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
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Halluzination5 3 years ago
they pushed him away from the wreck,and how did david purley die?
cousinearl216 3 years ago
David died in a plane crash in 1985. He's a true Hero.
25temper07 3 years ago 4
its sick to watch that the other drivers saw the accident and did nothing about it. they cared more about winning than one mans life. its sick. if the other drivers would have stopped Williamson might have lived. shame..
ojoplayer 3 years ago
seems to me you had as much time to think about the comment you made as the other drivers did to react to what they saw when they came round the bend at 100 mph + and passed the scene within seconds, all they see is a flash as they are concentrating on the road ahead, the times, the fuel of their cars, if they stopped every time they saw a flash of an accident, theyd never end a race. I dont have no hard feelings against the other racers at all.
Paulsb2005 3 years ago 2