In the heart of Paris, where beauty and bravery often coexist, one man’s courage is being celebrated across the country, and rightfully so.
On July 4, 39-year-old Fousseynou Cissé became the definition of a real-life hero after risking his life to save six people, including two infants, trapped in a blazing apartment building. And he didn’t think twice.
“I didn’t ask myself the question. There were lives at stake, I didn’t calculate,” Cissé said to Le Parisien.
Cissé said he had already made it to safety with his wife and child when a neighbor cried out, two families were still inside. Without hesitation, he said he ran to a neighboring apartment, climbed out of a window, and stepped onto a razor-thin railing connecting the buildings, 65 feet above the ground.
From that narrow ledge, as smoke poured from shuttered windows, Cissé called out to the families. Footage shared to TikTok by @diya.pcsso shows the heart-stopping moment he stood against the wall, urging the mothers to pass their children to him.
He carefully helped two infants first, guiding them to a nearby window. Then came two more children. Once the little ones were safe, he helped the mothers to safety as well, seven lives saved in total.
One of the rescued mothers later said she saw herself “dying with [her] children” before Cissé appeared outside her window like an angel in sneakers.
His bravery has sparked admiration across France. President Emmanuel Macron personally called Cissé to thank him. “We must have spoken for a minute or two. I had goosebumps,” Cissé said.
The recognition hasn’t stopped there. Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez announced that Cissé will receive a medal “in recognition of his courage and dedication” on July 13. “This medal recognizes republican courage that commands admiration,” Nuñez wrote on X.
French officials, including Socialist politician Emmanuel Grégoire, have suggested he be awarded the prestigious Medal of the City of Paris, previously given to legends like Michael Jackson and Toni Morrison.
As Paris reels from the fire and a dozen residents recover from smoke inhalation, one thing is certain: the City of Lights just got a little brighter, thanks to Fousseynou Cissé.
Heroism, it turns out, sometimes walks a thin rail 65 feet above the street, and holds out a hand.
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