Good Samaritan Saves Woman From Bensalem House Fire
BENSALEM, Pa. (CBS) -- A man who happened to be driving by a house fire in Bucks County ran into the home and pulled a woman to safety on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident happened at about 12:53 p.m. at a home on the corner of Atlantic and Brown Avenues in Bensalem.
Joe MacAdams and his granddaughter, Sarah Bedesem, were driving by the house when they observed the fire.
"I saw smoke and as we got to the intersection, I saw flames coming out of the window of the house," MacAdams said.
MacAdams said he went to the back door of the home but it was locked.
"I hit it twice with my shoulder and a lady inside was yelling, 'Here's a key.' She handed me the key out the window -- she was on the floor. The smoke was just unreal, I can't believe that she survived it," MacAdams said.
MacAdams was able to assist the homeowner, Debbie Walsh, out of the house. Walsh suffered non-life threatening burns and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Walsh is expected to recover.
Unfortunately, two of Walsh's dogs were killed in the fire. But they are also being credited for saving her life.
"The dogs had a good part saving her life as well, not just a Good Samaritan. Because if the dogs didn't bark to wake her up, she probably could have still been sitting there," Battalion chief Robert Sponheimer said.
When asked if he felt like a hero, MacAdams replied, "Real heroes are overseas -- they're heroes."
The home suffered severe fire damage.
Fire officials said the blaze was started by a cigarette. There were no working smoke detectors inside the home.
Reported by Valerie Levesque, Steve Beck, CBS 3
