Istanbul: A hair-raising viral video has turned a teenager into the hero of the hour in Istanbul after he was seen catching a toddler as she plummeted from a second-floor window.
Feuzi Zabaat, a 17-year-old Algerian, was walking in the working-class district of Fatih district of Istanbul when he saw the two-year-old Doha Muhammed, a Syrian toddler playing near the open window of her apartment last Thursday.
On the video, released this week, Mr. Zabaat quickly positioned himself and is seen trying to alert those around him, before stepping in to catch her as she hurtles towards the pavement.
Zabaat’s presence of mind saved the child from an imminent serious injury or death.
The teenager, an Algerian immigrant who works in a workshop has remained modest when interviewed on Wednesday by the Dogan news agency, which published the images.
“I was just walking on the road when I saw the little girl in the window. She fell, and thanks to God, I caught her before she hit the ground,” he said.
According to Daily Sabah, father of baby Doha has rewarded Zabaat with a gift of 200 Turkish Liras and the parents Leyla Abdullah and Yusuf Muhammed also making a religious sacrifice the next day to celebrate the rescue of their daughter.
Watch the hair-raising video below:
With AFP inputs