Two brothers aged 3 and 10 were saved by a crowd of people in the street below after their house on a multi-story building caught on fire. The crowd had caught these two kids as they fell from the 3rd floor about 33 feet from the ground. Although they were unharmed from the fall, it is suspected that they might have mild issues due to the smoke inhalation. They were hospitalized along with 17 other residents of the building as reported by the Guardian.
The video of this heroic rescue became viral causing quite a stir. It showed the younger brother being dropped from the balcony as black smoke and fire engulfed the adjacent one.
Athoumani Walid, a 25-year-old student who suffered a broken wrist from helping catch the children, said he heard screams and went out to investigate after seeing the fire from his nearby apartment and rushed to help, along with four or five other people. They then went outside and shouted for the boys to jump into their arms. Although he initially feared for the boys, “when they jumped, fear disappeared”, Walid said. “What mattered was to catch them.” Walid had told the Associated Press that he hoped this would change the mindset of those in the neighbourhood, as it was majorly comprised of immigrants.
The mayor, Éric Piolle, congratulated residents on the rescue, which he said underscored the city’s “tradition of solidarity and mutual help”.
