A migrant from Mali living illegally in France is being honoured by President Emmanuel Macron for scaling an apartment building to save a four-year-old child dangling from a fifth-floor balcony.
The French leader is meeting with the migrant, identified as 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama, at the presidential Elysee Palace on Monday.
Quel courage .. bravo à ce jeune du 18eme pour cet acte héroïque 👏🏼
Posted by Habib Bibou on Saturday, May 26, 2018
Mr Gassama quickly scaled a building in Paris’ northern 18th district on Saturday, climbing from balcony to balcony until reaching the fifth floor, to grab the child clinging for life and whisk it to safety.
French media reported that the father of the small child was detained for alleged parental neglect.
Avec M. GASSAMA qui a sauvé samedi la vie d’un enfant en escaladant 4 étages à mains nues. Je lui ai annoncé qu’en reconnaissance de cet acte héroïque il allait être régularisé dans les plus brefs délais, et que la brigade des sapeurs-pompiers de Paris était prête à l’accueillir. pic.twitter.com/xMpFlP1UFe
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 28, 2018
Mr Gassama’s efforts went viral on social media, and he also got accolades from Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo.
He said later “thank God” that he saved the child.
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