Immigrant Hero “Spiderman” Who Scaled 4 Storey Building to Save Dangling Toddler is Secures a Job with Paris Fire Service and Granted French Citizenship From President Macron

A Malian migrant who rescued a four-year-old child hanging from a balcony has been made an honorary French citizen.

Mamoudou Gassama, who had been living illegally in France, was dubbed a “real-life Spider-Man” after quickly scaling a building in Paris’ northern 18th district on Saturday.

President Macron invited Mr Gassama to the Elysee Palace on Monday to thank him personally and honour him French citizenship.

'Thank God, I saved the child’ Footage on social media shows the 22-year-old climb up the block of flats and has gone viral – with one post having been watched over seven million times. “I saw all these people shouting, and cars sounding their horns. I climbed up like that and, thank God, I saved the child,” Mr Gassama told reporters after the event.

A video of Mamoudou Gassama’s spectacular rescue went viral on social media and has been viewed millions of times.

The Video:

With a crowd below cheering him on from the street, the migrant pulled himself from balcony to balcony at risk of life and limb, and managed to grab the four-year-old as a neighbour unsuccessfully tried to reach the boy from the nearest flat.

President Emmanuel Macron invited Mr Gassama to the Elysee Palace on Monday morning to personally thank him. During their filmed conversation, Mr Gassama said that he was trembling like a leaf after his courageous act.

Afterwards, Mr Macron announced that he would be granted French citizenship and join the French fire brigade.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo also lauded the 22-year-old’s heroism, and said she had called him to thank him in person.

She hailed him as the “Spiderman of the 18th”, a reference to the Paris district where the rescue took place.

“Congratulations to Mamoudou Gassama for his act of bravery that saved the life of a child,” Ms Hidalgo tweeted.

“He explained to me that he had arrived from Mali a few months ago dreaming of building his life here.

“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.”

Hinting that he could expect a fast track to residency, government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux tweeted: “This huge act of bravery, faithful to the values of solidarity of our Republic, must open the doors to our national community.”