Neighbor Saves 79-Year-Old Blind Woman from Boston Apartment Fire

In a heroic move, a neighbor jumped into action to save a blind woman from flames that ripped through their Roxbury apartment building. Socrate Joseph carried 79-year-old Geneva Fuller to safety as smoke filled the second floor of their Tremont Street home early Tuesday.

"She's blind, so she really didn't know what was going on. She had to go by her senses of hearing and smelling," said Keith Patterson to CBS News Boston.

When Fuller noticed smoke, she pressed her Life Alert button for help. Through heavy smoke and darkness, Joseph made his way to her using his phone's flashlight. Despite her being scared and reluctant at first, he knew they had to get out fast.

"In that moment I just yanked her, put her over my shoulders. So I was climbing down the steps with her," Joseph stated, noting that firefighters took over once they got to the ground floor.

Paramedics took Fuller to a nearby hospital where doctors checked her for smoke inhalation. They plan to keep her under observation for 24 hours to make sure she's okay.

The fire destroyed several apartments, leaving many residents homeless - including Joseph himself. As fire officials search through what's left of the second-floor apartment where it began, they still don't know what started the fire.

While Patterson called the rescuer "a hero among us," building manager Victor Luna praised Joseph for putting his life on the line to save someone else.