DirecTV employee helps save man from house fire

MESA, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Joseph Spencer says he just happened to be in the right place at the right time when he was flagged down by neighbors about a house fire. Now he's credited with saving a disabled veteran's life.

"I broke the window out there and yelled inside and saw a little bit of fire, bit of smoldering stuff, it was really smoky in there, I yelled out again, and I heard someone yelling I'm dying, I'm dying," said Spencer.

Spencer was getting off work from his job at DirecTV when he was flagged down. He and the neighbor ran around the home to get closer to someone crying out that they were dying. That's when he made the decision to go in.

"I got on my hands and knees, and I crawled and located him inside there, grabbed him and said we have to go, he said I have no legs. I didn't say anything I just grabbed him and crawled over to the window, put him up into the window, the neighbor got him out, and I collapsed on the floor," said Spencer.

The victim is a double amputee Army veteran who most likely wouldn't have made it out alive if it wasn't for the neighbor and Spencer.

"I took a second when I broke the window out to assess the situation and to understand what exactly I needed to do to get this guy out, I remembered to stay low and crawl on the floor," he said.

Humble as ever Joseph says he's just happy he could help and thankfully the story has a happy ending.

"There wasn't any time to be scared, or to second guess what I was going to do, I just came up with a plan and executed the plan," said Spencer.

Mesa Fire confirms that the victim is recovering tonight, but says that is all the information they can give because the fire is still under investigation.