An off-duty Allied Universal security guard, Phillip Blanks, caught a three-year-old child who was dropped from a burning apartment in Phoenix last week. As smoke and flames engulfed the apartment, Blanks saw what was happening and ran towards the building.

“I’d seen the building was on fire and my instinct kicked in immediately,” Blanks said. “With no hesitation, I just ran to the baby and caught him.”

Cellphone video shows Blanks running toward the building, where the third story apartment was engulfed. A woman believed to be the child’s mother desperately dropped him off the third-floor balcony. Blanks, in the red shirt, jumped into action.

Blanks served in the military and has been working for Allied Universal for more than three months. 

“I can definitely give credit to the Marine Corps for instilling this good training in me to save a life,” Blanks said. “I don’t see myself as a hero — just doing my job.”