Watch: Two Men Rescue Elderly Man from Burning Apartment Building
When Dombaev Dzhambulat arrived in France seven years ago, he had one goal: to work as a mechanic. In order to do that, he needed a residence permit.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for seven years, all I want is to live as a simple person,” he told the French outlet 20 Minutes.
It’s been seven years, and while he hasn’t yet realized this dream, he’s made it into the public eye recently — and perhaps that will help him accomplish his goals.
Ouloubaev Aslan moved to France two years before Dzhambulat, and the two Chechens — who are neighbors — have become friends.
On April 15, they saw a concerning scene in Montereau-Fault-Yonne.
“I was doing gymnastics in Square Beaumarchais when I saw smoke coming from a neighboring building,” Dzhambulat said.
An apartment building was on fire, and on the second floor an elderly man was leaning over his balcony railing, unable to escape while smoke billowed around and over him.
Dzhambulat and Aslan wasted no time climbing up to rescue the man, even as a crowd grew below them.
“I then piled up trash cans and went up to him,” Dzhambulat explained.
“I am afraid, I am afraid, I cannot walk,” the elderly man told them.
Bravo aux jeunes de la cité de Montereau fault Yonne. Sauvetage héroïque pic.twitter.com/gq8hHs4Z8b
— Noam anouar (@NoamAnouar) April 15, 2020
One man stayed on the neighboring balcony while the other swung himself across and onto the old man’s balcony. A third man helped them hoist the elderly man to safety.
For Aslan and Dzhambulat, the decision to help was an easy one.
“I saw an old person … and I did not hesitate to climb,” Aslan said, according to his son. “I was not afraid because it is not the first time that I have rescued people.”
“Everyone asked me the question, but I did not have time to be afraid, I had to go,” Dzhambulat added.
The men’s actions have been recognized by rescue personnel, and they were even awarded medals from the mayor for their bravery. Sadly, the fire claimed the lives of a mother and her young daughter, but thanks to Aslan and Dzhambulat, at least one person survived.
“They really helped save people, it is to their credit,” SDIS 77 firefighters told 20 Minutes. “There is a big risk and these are acts of bravery. This was instrumental in the first few minutes to save the trapped people.”
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