Vietnam honours hero for saving toddler falling from 12th floor balcony

The image of a girl falling from the 12th floor of the apartment building was saved by Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Manh (Vietnamnet)

By Phong Lan
Deputy Head of the World News Desk
Dantri Online Newspaper

HANOI: A Hanoi man has been praised and rewarded by local authorities and the wide public after he saved a baby girl who fell from the 12th floor of an apartment building in the city.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Monday sent a letter to 31-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Manh to compliment his braveness and quick action that saved a baby girl who fell from the 60B Apartment Building in Thanh Xuan District.

The baby captured climbing over the railing of the balcony (Thadaco)

In the letter, he praised Manh’s kindness and believed that such spirit and kindness would contribute to community development.

Secretary of Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue also sent a complimentary letter to Manh.

Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh also praised Manh and gave him a certificate of merit for his action. Manh was also rewarded with VND4.47 million from the city.

The man has also been called “hero” by local media and the wide public who have formed various fan pages on social media to compliment him on his brave action.

Nguyen Ngoc Manh awarded a certificate of merit for his courageous action (Vietnamnet)

On February 28, a three-year-old girl climbed out of the balcony of an apartment on the 12th floor of the 60B Apartment Building after her parents came out to see off a guest.

Some residents in the opposite building saw her and screamed out. At the time, Manh, who is a truck driver, was waiting for customers at the location. He heard the screams and came out of his truck to see the small girl hanging on the balcony.

The man rushed to the building and climbed onto the metal roof on the ground floor to try to catch the baby.

Manh

The baby hung on the balcony for some seconds before she fell down. Luckily, Manh was able to catch her.

Doctors said that the baby had a dislocated hip, but she is in a stable health condition. The rescue man only had a sprain.

In a meeting with the rescue man yesterday, the baby’s father said that his daughter has just been born for the second time by Manh.

Letter of thanks and appreciation from Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to Nguyen Ngoc Manh (Vietnam)

“Thank you so much Manh,” he said. “Without your bravery to save our baby, I don’t know how my wife and I can live now. You have given us a chance to fix our mistakes. We’re very sorry for having made people worried.”

Speaking with local media, Manh sent his sincere thanks to local authorities and the public for caring about and supporting him and said his action is just a normal thing to do.

“Any person who was in my place at that time would do what I did,” he said. “So please don’t call me a hero.”

Superman Nguyen Ngoc Manh