'If I didn't save this woman, I'd hear those screams the rest of my life'

A Baldwin County deputy went above and beyond the call of duty to rescue an elderly woman from a house fire in Georgia.

It all started with the 911 call. When Baldwin County Dispatcher, James Bohannon, picked up the call at 4:27 p.m. on Monday, the caller hung up.

"When I called it back the line actually picked up and then it immediately hung up," said Bohannon.

He says that nine times out of ten, 911 hang-ups are pranks, but since he's trained to take all calls seriously, he dialed again. This time, he got a busy signal.

"At that point, I dispatched the deputy and got the deputy in route," Bohannon said.

When Josh Mays arrived, he saw smoke, and without hesitation went inside.

"As soon as I got the door open, I could hear a woman's voice screaming. She was hollering for help," Mays said.

He countered those screams with consoling words of his own.

"I told her I was here and was going to attempt to get her," Mays recalled.

After three tries and still no rescue, Lt. Lee Williamson arrived with gas masks.

"I put them on. I grabbed her and pushed her to my chest and I scooped her up. With everything I had, I dragged her through the residence and fought my way through the fire. I figured if I didn't save this woman, I'd hear those screams the rest of my life," Mays said.

The woman was transferred to the Augusta Burn Center where she is in stable condition and expected to live. Her name has not been released.