BristolUK

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...rescuing-child

MillieF

He was wonderful, but what I don't understand is why the adult at the top was standing there quite so dork like for so long? You'd think he might have tried some form of movement wouldn't you.

It's nice as 'Spiderman' is now going to meet Macron, and be given every assistance to settle in France!

dave_j

Imagine you're at floor level and you have a head for heights and you're fit and healthy enough to be able to climb four stories on the outside of a building and the building itself allows you to climb quickly and you see a child hanging from the building and you see an adult male just a few feet from the child, What would you do?

Would you, could you immediately leap up the building or would you stand back and shout at the man to grab the child?

There's a lot not on this video and what we see is only part of the story. Obvious questions are: Why did the man do nothing? How did the child get to where he was without falling? How did the child manage to hang on for so long? What was happening at ground level to catch the child should he fall? Why did noone enter the building to get to the child from the inside?

The child and his family were fortunate that the climber was there, given the best will in the world, I couldn't have done it.

Edit: Closer inspection of the video shows two people at the same level but they are separated from the child by a partition so I'm answering some of my own questions. I'm not sure that I'd be able to climb around the partition at that height, but I might look to climb over it. Even so, I have a fear of heights and I very likely would have stood by being physically unable to overcome my fear and do anything about it.

BristolUK

I think the partition prevented him from doing anything. During the video you get to see the partition on a lower level and it looks like it fully meets the wall. I think he is already leaning out too far to get any leverage if he takes hold of the kid - who is probably not going to release his grip to allow him to grab his arm.

So it would likely mean him having to climb over himself.

Shard

So impressive to see such a brave and fit young guy scale that building in mere seconds. France's quick recognition of the feat and decision to offer residency is also commendable.

The toddler was obviously hanging on for his life. It seemed toward the end he was inching closer to the adjacent balcony, but definitely a dangerous situation.

scrubbedexpat091

That man must be in good shape, or a natural at climbing. Regardless good he was able to assist the child and prevent the child from falling.

Jerseygirl

Sniff, sniff...smells like a set up to me.

bats

MillieF

Jerseygirl

How could a child that old/size hang on like that? Unless someone was behind the balcony wall holding on to him. Maybe it’s a coincidence the balcony wasn’t glass.

dbd33

I reddit elsewhere that

"the dad was out to buy some groceries (and ran late because he's one of the few people still playing Pokemon Go (for real)). The neighbor said in an interview that he was in a bad position to grab him because there was a barrier right next to him, and he felt like he wouldn't be able to lift the kid properly and was terrified to make him fall off. He said "I wanted to act cautiously".
The neighbor thought that the kid looked like he wasn't in "immediate" danger, in the sense that he wasn't hanging from his hand but still had his feet onto the side of the balcony, and in the 10s it took him to assess the situation ****ing spiderman came in and power-lifted the kid like it was nothing.
The dad lost custody of the kid, who's with the social services now."

Jerseygirl

Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff...

dbd33

Where are you on the moon landings?

spouse of scouse

Yeah, the guy was out of order. He should have let the kid drop and die. It's a plot I tell you, a plot

Jerseygirl