Father of toddler left dangling from balcony in Paris was out shopping and playing Pokemon Go

The father of a young child rescued from a Paris balcony Saturday was apparently out playing Pokemon Go and left his child unattended.

dangling baby thegrio.com
The father of a young child rescued from a Paris balcony Saturday was apparently out playing Pokemon Go and left his child unattended. (Screengrab from YouTube)

The four-year-old who was left dangling from an apartment building in Paris and saved by a Malian immigrant is said to have been left alone while his father was playing Pokemon Go, reports CNN.

French prosecutor Francois Molins said the child’s father went out shopping and then played the popular game while leaving his child unattended. His mother was out of town. Since the father abandoned the toddler he now faces jail time. Molins also said the father could serve up to two years for his action and that he was not “devastated” after the incident made national headlines.

READ MORE: Malian immigrant dubbed ‘Spiderman of Paris’ climbs high-rise to rescue dangling toddler

Thanks to Mamoudou Gassama who is being called the “Spiderman of Paris,” the toddler was saved after Gassama’s heroic act of climbing up four stories of the apartment building to rescue the hanging kid.

Gassama has now been given honorary French citizen by the French President, reports CNN.

It was a jaw-dropping feat captured on video that went viral and also captured the hearts of onlookers who were stunned, but their senses were probably tingling with appreciation.

The 22-year-old had only been in the country for a few months and not only has been given made a naturalized citizen by President Emmanuel Macron but Gassama was offered a job by the fire brigade. Sounds like Gassama will be putting those scaling skills to good use.

Gassama told Macron: “I didn’t think about it, I climbed up and God helped me.”

Gassama met with the French president at the Elysee Palace on Monday morning and was given a medal by President Macron for saving the four-year-old.

“I did not think, I saved him,” he said.

He added: “When I took him in my arms, I spoke with him and asked: ‘Why did you do that?’ But he did not answer.”

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Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also congratulated Gassama and dubbed him the “Spiderman of the 18th” which is the city district where he saved the toddler.

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

And what a lucky break for the baby having Gassama there with the brawn to get the job done.

“Luckily, there was someone who was physically fit and who had the courage to go and get the child,” a spokesman said.

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