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When he saw the young child dangling from a balcony, Gassama climbed up four floors of the apartment building and rescued the boy in less than one minute. When emergency services arrived at the scene, he had already pulled the child to safety.

The child was slightly injured, according to French authorities.

The 22-year-old Malian was invited to the Elysee presidential palace Monday morning where he met French President Emmanuel Macron.

\"French
AP
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, meets with Mamoudou Gassama, 22, from Mali, at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, Monday, May, 28, 2018.
>

\"I did not really think, I started climbing directly,\" he told Macron. \"As I was climbing up, I felt more and more confident.\"

\"Bravo,\" replied the French president.

Gassama also spoke to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. He told her he arrived from Mali a few months ago and wished to stay in France.

\"I replied that his heroic gesture was an example for all citizens and that the city of Paris will obviously be keen to support him in his efforts to settle in France,” Hidalgo wrote on Twitter.

It took less than 48 hours for French authorities to respond to Gassama’s wish. The Elysee Palace announced Monday he will be made a French citizen and has been offered a job by the Paris fire brigade.

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