Video: Good Samaritans Form Human Ladder To Rescue Woman From Fire

WHIPPANY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A dramatic rescue was caught on camera when good Samaritans pulled a woman from the roof of her burning restaurant in New Jersey.

Andy Mottram was on the way to lunch with his friend when he saw smoke at Billy and Madeline's Red Room Tavern on Parsippany Road in Hanover.

But when he got a little closer and heard a woman desperately screaming from the second floor, he knew he had to step in.

"We saw that people were in trouble so figured out we had to do something," he told CBS2's Reena Roy.

The 34-year-old, thinking fast, used perhaps his greatest asset -- his height.

He hoisted his friend up onto all 6 feet 9 inches of him, creating a human ladder so his friend could reach the roof of the restaurant where the co-owner, 67-year-old Madeline Fornaro, was stuck.

"I was able to toss him up on the roof, he climbed up on my back and was able to pass Madeline down to me," said Mottram.

The fire happened back in November, destroying the restaurant. Earlier this week, Mottram and the two other good Samaritans were honored, and they recently released the dramatic video of the rescue.

"If we or someone wasn't there in the next two or three minutes, it would've been much worse," he said. "I don't think of us as heroes, just people doing the right thing."

Hanover Township officials gave all three good Samaritans lifesaving certificates for a job very well done.