A Malian man who scaled a building to save a young boy hanging over the balcony Saturday in Paris was given French citizenship after meeting with French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron Monday.
The hero, Mamoudou Gassama, 22, joined a crowd waiting for emergency workers when he saw a child struggling. He then climbed up the balconies to the fifth floor, where he pulled the boy back to safety.
By the time the fire brigade got to the scene, their job was already done.
Watch 22 year old Mamoudou Gassama heroically scaling four stories of a building when he sees a toddler about to fall to a certain death. When he began climbing the neighbors did not have ahold of the child’s arm yet. pic.twitter.com/67EsUmzwFN
— Ray [REDACTED] (@RayRedacted) May 28, 2018
In response for his heroics, French president Emmanuel Macron invited Gassama to the Elysee Palace where he spoke with the president, received a medal for his courageous acts and was given honorary French citizenship with a promise of full citizenship in the future.
According to Business Insider, the Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, called him personally to thank him and she said, “Congratulations to Mamoudou Gassama for his act of bravery that saved the life of a child.”
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
Gassama, who has only been in France for months, was also given a position as a fireman.