French “Spider-Man” Hero Begins Work for Paris Fire Brigade

The “Spider-Man” hero who scaled a Paris apartment building to rescue a child dangling from a balcony, has just taken on his next heroic challenge: serving in the Paris Fire Brigade.

22-year-old Malian migrant Mamoudou Gassama continues to enjoy the rewards of his heroic action back in May, as he has not only earned French citizenship, but also a job as one of twenty-four new recruits of the Paris Fire Brigade, as you can see above.

Gassama became a viral sensation on the Internet after viewers saw him hope the balconies of a Paris high-rise with Spider-Man-like agility, to boost a young 4-year-old boy back over the balcony edge to safety. The boy’s father was reportedly out shopping at the time, and left the child unattended; CNN reports that the father is now being investigated for “abandoning his parental responsibilities,” and will be sentenced in September.

It’s not hard to see why this story has struck such a chord with viewers all over the world, as the debate about immigration vs. nationalism is raging all throughout the Western world. Gassama has become an instant icon for all of the good that migrant peoples can add to a society – which has likely been why French President Emmanuel Macron has made a point to celebrate Gassama and reward his brave act.

For his part, Gassama has been nothing but humble; when invited to meet with Macron at Élysée Palace, Gassama explained his heroism by saying the following:

“I didn’t think about it. I climbed up, and God helped me…I like children. I would have hated to see him getting hurt in front of me. I ran and I looked for solutions to save him and thank God I scaled the front of the building to the balcony.”

“Not all heroes wear capes” has become a popular Internet meme, these days, but in this case, it certainly fits the bill. We wish Mamoudou Gassama good luck and safety with his new job.