Malian immigrant climbed four stories to rescue child hanging from 6th floor — and it changed his life forever

Not everyone is born a superhero, but sometimes, the right circumstances bring one to life. In May 2018, the people of Paris, France, hailed 22-year-old Mamoudou Gassama as a hero after he saved a toddler from falling from the sixth floor of a building. An immigrant from Mali, Gassama earned the nickname “Spider-Man of Paris” for his daring rescue. Just two days later, on May 28, 2018, he sat in the gilded halls of the Élysée Palace, face to face with French President Emmanuel Macron, who awarded him a medal from the prefecture for “courage and devotion,” as reported by ABC News. A video of their recorded conversation was later shared by AP News.

Gassama’s heroic act was captured in a video that quickly went viral on social media, with major outlets like CBC News and The Guardian sharing the footage. The video showed a toddler dangling from a top-floor balcony, desperately clinging to the railing. Then, Gassama sprang into action. Scaling four balconies with remarkable speed, he reached the child and safely pulled him over the railing, securing him inside the apartment. As the tense scene unfolded, a crowd of terrified onlookers watched from below—only to erupt in cheers of relief when the rescue was complete. On social media, Gassama became an inspiring sensation. "A hero is someone that understands the responsibility that comes with Freedom," @talentafrica wrote on X.

Later on, it was revealed that the father of the toddler had left him alone in the apartment while he went shopping. While returning home, he stopped mid-way to play a game of "Pokemon Go," leaving his four-year-old child unattended for a prolonged period. The child's mother was not in town at that time, as reported by BBC. While his mother lived away in another city, the boy's father was not used to taking care of him. After this incident, the father was taken into suspicion by French police and the child was taken into the care of French authorities.

President Macron on X praised Gassama for his heroic efforts. Moreover, as he sat in front of him, during their meeting, Gassama wore a crisp white shirt and a pair of blue denims. He recollected his feelings from the epic moment and described them to the President, "I ran. I crossed the street to save him.” He said that he didn’t think twice before jumping in to save the child, but while he took the child into his apartment, he was “trembling.” President Macron not only awarded him an honorary medal but also offered him a job in the emergency services. "What you have done corresponds with what firefighters do; if this fits your wishes, you could join the firefighters' corps so that you can do [such acts] on a daily basis,” he told the young man.

The President also granted him French citizenship. “France has offered citizenship to an immigrant from Mali who climbed four stories up a Paris apartment block to save a boy who was about to fall from a balcony,” he declared. Gassama told the outlet that he arrived in Paris a few months before the date of this incident and wished to stay there for some time.

Gassama’s courageous deed caused the President to rethink the country’s immigration laws. Although he said that not all people who migrated to Europe could be granted citizenship, Gassama was a rare and incredible exception who deserved to be a citizen of the country. "You saved a child. Without you, no one knows what would have become of him," Macron told him, according to the recorded parts of their meeting. "You need courage and the capability to do that. You have become an example because millions have seen you [on social media]."