It is often said that "not all heroes wear capes", and that was proven to be true this weekend when a seemingly ordinary man scaled a building in order to rescue a boy that had somehow become stuck hanging over the balcony.
Mamoudou Gassama, a 22-year-old originally from Mali, was captured on video as he raced up the outside of a building in Paris - all the while being cheered on by a crowd of people that had gathered below. In under a minute, the young man managed to pull himself over a fence and up four floors to reach the child, and has now been hailed a hero for his actions.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of the city, tweeted to say: "Congratulations to Mamoudou Gassama for his act of bravery that saved the life of a child," adding that she had spoken with him over the phone to offer her thanks.
During the conversation, Gassama said that he had only recently arrived in the country, and was just doing his best as a citizen.
"He explained to me that he had arrived from Mali a few months ago dreaming of building his life here," Hidalgo said. "I replied that his heroic gesture was an example for all citizens and that the city of Paris will obviously be keen to support him in his efforts to settle in France."
He has now been made an honorary citizen of the country.
Local authorities have not explained exactly how the young boy ended up in such a predicament, but said that his parents were not home at the time. As a result, his father has been questioned by police on suspicion of leaving his child unattended, and it is understood that his mother was not in the city when the incident happened.
