In early July, a fire in a building in the 18th arrondissement of Paris endangered the lives of several families. Amidst the smoke and flames, a Senegalese caretaker became the unwitting protagonist of the rescue.
Fousseynou Cissé, 39, a legal resident of France, climbed up to a sixth-floor ledge to help two babies, two minors and their mothers. One by one, he pulled them to safety with the help of neighbours who greeted them from their windows.
The event, recorded by witnesses and broadcast on social media, generated a wave of recognition for the worker, who is employed in public schools in the French capital. "I didn't think about it, I just listened to my heart," Cissé explained after the rescue.
The Senegalese man's swift action earned him the thanks of the authorities. Emmanuel Macron personally congratulated him and recently the President of France awarded him the Medal of Honour for his courage and bravery.
The heroic gesture has reopened the debate in France about the role of migrants in emergency situations and the social recognition of those who risk their lives to save others.
Source: eldiario.ec; facebook.com