Not many of us would risk life and limb for another human being. But Mamoudou Gassama proved that he is one of the rare few! In an impressive act of heroism, the migrant man saved the life of a kid in France, even if it meant putting himself in danger.
Migrant Man Saves Life of Kid Dangling from Paris Balcony
Hailed as a real life “Spider-man,” Gassama bravely scaled a high-rise building in Paris, France until he reached the four-year-old child who was hanging from a balcony.
Footage of the amazing rescue is now going viral online. In the clip, bystanders cheered for the brave man as he swiftly pulled himself up from balcony to balcony until he reached the child and then pulled him to safety!
To reward his act of bravery, French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that the 22-year-old Mali national will become a naturalized French citizen.
Aside from this, Mr Gassama has been awarded a medal of courage as well as a job in the fire service, should he desire it.
According to BBC, Mr Gassama had arrived in France last year, after having survived a perilous journey by boat across the Mediterranean to Italy.
“I just didn’t have time to think, I ran across the road to go and save him…”
The fit man saves life of kid dangling from balcony by climbing a building using only his upper body strength! | Screenshots: CNN News YouTube
Speaking to the president at Elysee Palace after his heroic act, Gassama recalled how he was simply walking by when he saw the boy dangling dangerously from a balcony.
“I just didn’t have time to think, I ran across the road to go and save him,” he told president Macron, according to a BBC report. “”I just climbed up and thank God, God helped me. The more I climbed the more I had the courage to climb up higher, that’s it.”
Mr Gassama recalled how the boy was crying with an injured foot as he and two other people in an adjacent balcony helped them.
According to authorities, the boy’s parents were not home at the time of the incident — his mom was not in Paris, while his dad had left him home alone — which makes this incident even more worrisome.
Thankfully, Mr Gassama was walking by at the time he did.
You can watch clips of the amazing rescue in the video below.
Keeping Kids Safe in High-Rise Buildings
This is just the latest in a slew of incidents that highlight high-rise dangers. Just recently, a boy in China who fell out of a window, was amazingly caught by neighbors. Sadly, not all cases end in a heroic rescue. In Singapore recently, a 17-year-old boy fell four stories to his death.
Sadly, heroes like Mr Gassama won’t always be around just in time. So it’s up to us to be heroes in simple ways: by thinking one step ahead, to outsmart the many dangers around us.
So how can we keep our kids safe?
Remember these important childproofing measures that could one day save your child’s life:
1. Install safety grilles or window guards
Though screens can help keep kids safe, grilles and window guards can prove to be sturdier protective tools when you are living with young kids in a high-rise apartment or condominium.
2. Keep windows and balcony doors locked at all times
Make it a habit to check whether or not all windows and balcony doors within your high-rise home are locked. The child in the incident above was sadly left alone in the home.
3. Remove furniture near windows
Toddlers are naturally curious about the world around them. So they explore and climb, blithely unaware about the many dangers of high-rise living.
To keep kids safe, make sure to keep furniture they can easily climb away from windows. Childproofing dressers and drawers is another safety precaution because a curious child is also prone to crushing hazards from falling dressers.
4. Do not leave your child alone in a room
We can’t stress this enough: A lot can happen in the blink of an eye! The parents in the story above may not have knowingly put their son in danger, but he could have died had it not been for the heroic bystander.
It’s important NOT to leave kids alone at home, especially if they are too young, no matter how briefly. Don’t underestimate the ability of toddlers to easily reach for locks and open windows.
5. Keep heavy objects out of kids’ reach
Large and heavy objects — such as big toys and household decorations — when thrown with significant force, can easily glass balcony doors or windows. Not only does this increase the risk of high-rise falls, but the shards of glass can seriously, even fatally injure, a small child.
6. Educate other caregivers of these safety measures
Yes, you try your best to keep them safe, but you can’t keep an eye on your kids 24/7. So you need trusted caregivers to help you make sure they are protected from safety hazards in the home.
An important part of childproofing the home involves educating your child’s other caregivers about high-rise safety precautions.
What other safety measures would you take to prevent high-rise falls, moms and dads?
Source: BBC News
ALSO READ: Toddler falls from building: dangers of leaving kids in locked rooms
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore