Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
People File • Heroism

Mamoudou Gassama

Mamoudou Gassama is a Malian-born man who became widely known in France and internationally after rescuing a child dangling from a balcony in Paris in May 2018.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Mamoudou Gassama is a Malian-born man who became a French citizen after rescuing a child from a Paris balcony in May 2018. He was nicknamed the “Spider-Man of Paris.”

Background

Mamoudou Gassama was born in 1996 in Yaguine, Mali, in the Kayes region. Before the rescue, he was living in France as a migrant.

The Paris rescue

On 26 May 2018, Gassama climbed the exterior of a block of flats at 51 rue Marx-Dormoy in the 18th arrondissement of Paris to reach a four-year-old boy dangling from a balcony. He pulled the child to safety, and the act was recorded and widely shared.

Aftermath

Following the rescue, Gassama met French President Emmanuel Macron and was fast-tracked to French citizenship. He was also offered a position with the Paris fire brigade.

In short

  • Rescued a child by climbing four storeys of a Paris building in May 2018
  • Nicknamed the “Spider-Man of Paris”
  • Received French citizenship and a job offer from the Paris fire brigade
  • Originates from Yaguine, Mali

Quick questions

Who is Mamoudou Gassama?
Mamoudou Gassama is a man from Mali who became internationally known after rescuing a child from a Paris balcony in 2018.
What did Mamoudou Gassama do?
He climbed the outside of a Paris apartment building and saved a four-year-old boy who was hanging from a balcony.
Why is Mamoudou Gassama called Spider-Man?
He is called “Spider-Man of Paris” because he climbed four storeys up the outside of a building to rescue a child.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamoudou_Gassama
    Supports: Birth year, nickname, and 26 May 2018 Paris rescue details.
  2. Wikipedia (German) — https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamoudou_Gassama
    Supports: Origin in Yaguine, Mali, and identification as a French citizen of Malian origin.
  3. BBC News — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44287494
    Supports: Description of the rescue, his age at the time, and residency/citizenship process.
  4. BBC News — https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45507663
    Supports: Confirmation that he became a French citizen after the rescue.
  5. Wikipedia (French) — https://www.fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamoudou_Gassama
    Supports: Origin from Yaguine and rescue narrative.
  6. Deutsche Welle — https://www.dw.com/en/malian-immigrant-hailed-for-heroic-rescue-offered-french-passport/a-43954994
    Supports: Offer of French citizenship after the rescue.
  7. The Guardian — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/28/spider-man-of-paris-to-get-french-citizenship-after-rescuing-child
    Supports: Nickname, rescue details, and subsequent citizenship process.