'Guardian Angel' Saves Firefighter's Mother From Burning Dorchester Home
BOSTON (CBS) – A Good Samaritan is being credited for his quick actions helping rescue a Boston firefighter's mother from her burning Dorchester home.
Firefighter Steve Perry was racing to the scene as one of the responding companies, knowing he was headed to the family home.
"I was thinking the worst," said Perry.
The smoke was starting to intensify at the home on Capen Place when Edwin Julia looked up and saw 62-year-old Regina Atwater-Robinson in a second floor window.
Atwater-Robinson said she went to the second floor to call 911 with plans to then run out the door, but that changed.
"There was black smoke everywhere. I couldn't even see in front of me," said Atwater-Robinson. "I was screaming, 'someone get me out of here.'"
She saw Edwin Julia was outside. "My guardian angel. When I was screaming, he said, 'ma'am, ma'am I am right here,'" said Atwater-Robinson.
"She's screaming, 'Help me! Help me!'" said Julia, who was doing a gutter estimate across the street when he saw the smoke.
Julia said his instinct kicked in and he tried to convince the panicked woman to jump to safety by first making it onto a small roof above the front porch.
"I told her to break the screen and I would catch her when she jumped off," said Julia, who helped her break her fall.
She said she didn't think twice and jumped into his arms.
By the time Julia got Atwater-Robinson to safety, her son Steve arrived on Ladder 29 and rushed to his mother. Perry said he broke into tears knowing that she was safe.
"I got on my knees and grabbed her and hugged her saying 'It's OK, I'm here,'" said Perry. "She's tough as nails. She's a jokester and said she's not an acrobat and wouldn't do it again."
At the hospital, doctors told Atwater-Robinson most people would have broken bones, but she only suffered bumps and bruises. She was recovering at a relative's home Wednesday night.
Julia says he did what he was supposed to do, but the family says his rescue is the greatest Mother's Day gift.
"All I can say is thank you. I know he says he's not a hero but in my eyes he is. He saved my mom," said Perry.
WBZ-TV's Beth Germano and Katie Brace contributed to this report.