‘Cricket helped me catch her’: Indian-origin man saves 3-year-old girl falling from London window ledge | World News

A three-year-old girl was rescued after hanging from a window ledge of a building in east London for at least nine minutes, with a police officer and a member of the public catching her as she fell.The incident happened on Ilford High Road on Tuesday afternoon, where bystanders spotted the child clinging to a window above a pawnbroker’s shop and raised the alarm.Footage shared on social media showed crowds gathering below as the girl struggled to hold on. A woman could be seen reaching out from a lower window while onlookers shouted for help.As the child’s grip weakened, a police officer positioned himself on a ledge beneath her. Moments later, local resident Mohamed Jesil joined the rescue effort after climbing across nearby rooftops.The pair moved directly below the girl before she lost her hold and fell. Jesil caught her, while the officer helped steady them as spectators cheered from the street below.Jesil, a restaurant manager and father of five-month-old twins, later explained that he rushed to the scene after hearing the commotion.He told The Metro: “I ran out on instinct. I’m a dad of twins aged five months, and as a dad I just reacted.“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.”Describing the moments after the rescue, he said there was “massive relief” and revealed the girl responded by giving him “a big hug”.Jesil also credited his sporting background for helping him make the catch, saying: “I played cricket in India so that may have helped with my catching. I just knew I had to concentrate.”The girl’s father described the officer and Jesil as “amazing heroes” and said his daughter escaped injury.“They were both amazing. They were heroes. We are so relieved,” he said. “They saved our child.”He added that the girl was recovering well and expected to return to school the following day.The father said Jesil was a “complete stranger” to the family and expressed gratitude for his actions.The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to Ilford High Road shortly after 3.20pm following reports of a child on a window ledge.According to the force, the girl was brought to safety within minutes by an attending officer and a member of the public.Police said the child did not suffer any injuries.