A Malian man hailed a hero after saving a child dangling from a fourth floor balcony in Paris will be granted French citizenship.
Mamoudou Gassama met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace after a video of his daring rescue went viral on social media.
As well as being made a French citizen, the 22-year-old – who recently moved to the country in the hope of a new life – will be offered a place in the fire brigade, Mr Macron said on Monday.
Mr Macron hailed the “exceptional act”, telling Mr Gassama: “You saved a child. Without you, no one knows what would have become of him.
“You need courage and the capability to do that.”
He added Mr Gassama had become an “example” because millions have viewed the astonishing act after footage was uploaded to Facebook.
The migrant admitted he was “trembling” after the rescue, but told the French president: “When I started to climb, it gave me courage to keep climbing.”
Mr Gassama also received a medal and certificate for bravery on his visit to the presidential residence.
He scaled an apartment block in northern Paris on Saturday evening after seeing a four-year-old in danger.
Footage shows Mr Gassama pulling himself up from balcony to balcony in a matter of seconds, while a man on the fourth floor tries to hold on to the child by leaning across from a neighbouring balcony.
On reaching the fourth floor, Mr Gassama puts one leg over the balcony before reaching out with his right arm and grabbing the child.
Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the child had already been rescued. A spokesman said: “Luckily, there was someone who was physically fit and who had the courage to go and get the child.”
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