In a heroic act, a man saved a three-year-old girl who was dangling from a second-floor window in London. He credited his cricket skills, learned in India, for helping him make the life-saving catch.
The Incident
The incident occurred above a busy shopping street in Ilford, where onlookers watched as the young child clung to a window ledge several meters above the ground. Mohamed Jesil, a father of two, rushed to help when he saw the girl in danger, describing his reaction as instinctive.
"I ran out on instinct. I’m a dad of twins aged five months, and as a dad I just reacted," he told Metro UK. He added: "I wasn’t scared, I just didn’t think. I’m not a hero, I just did it as a dad seeing a child in trouble."
Cricket Skills in Action
Jesil later mentioned that his background in cricket may have aided him during the rescue: "I played cricket in India so that may have helped my catching. I just knew I had to concentrate."
The Rescue
The young girl, dressed in a pink jacket and brown trousers, was seen trying to pull herself back to safety while hanging from the ledge above a pawnbroker's shop. Footage of the incident and the brave rescue went viral.
As the child struggled to hold on, a crowd gathered below. Witnesses looked on anxiously while emergency services were called. At one point, a woman appeared at a lower window and shouted up to the girl as people on the street waited helplessly.
Moments later, Jesil and a Metropolitan Police officer positioned themselves directly beneath the child. As her grip finally gave way, the crowd gasped with fear. The girl fell from the ledge but was safely caught by Jesil with assistance from the police officer. Once secure, she was passed through the lower window to the waiting woman, believed to be her mother. People watching below started to applaud.
Aftermath
Jesil said the child later thanked him for the help: "She didn’t say anything, just gave me a big hug. I’m so happy it could help." According to the Metropolitan Police, officers were called to Ilford High Road at 3:23 pm following concerns for the safety of a child on a window ledge. The girl was brought to safety by 3:32 pm.
The child escaped unharmed. Her father later confirmed she was "fine" and had returned to school the next day.
