Firefighters in Latvia are being praised by their countrymen and on social media for rescuing a suicidal man after he jumped out of the window of his apartment on the fourth floor.
The 12-second dramatic clip, which has now gone viral, was first shared by the Latvian Fire Service department on their official Facebook page late last Thursday.
“During the weekend, the VUGD received a call to a multi-apartment building where there was a suspicion that a person was going to jump through the fourth-floor window,” the department said.
It added that when the firefighters arrived at the scene they realised that if they went into the apartment the man would “most likely jump out of the window”. They entered his neighbour’s apartment, a floor below, instead and one of them waited at the window to catch him when he fell.
{{/usCountry}}It added that when the firefighters arrived at the scene they realised that if they went into the apartment the man would “most likely jump out of the window”. They entered his neighbour’s apartment, a floor below, instead and one of them waited at the window to catch him when he fell.
{{/usCountry}}The heart-stopping video captures the exact moment the fireman catches hold of the man and pulls him up with the help of his colleague.
“This underlines the courage and the bravery of those working in our firefighting service and their ability to think outside the box which on this occasion resulted in saving the life of a human being,” head of state fire and rescue service Oskars Abolins was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
The post collected more than 6,000 shares and over three million views within a week of sharing.
“Respect, they only had one chance,” wrote one person.
“A genuinely heroic act. I don’t know you, but I would like to buy you a beer. ?? (sic)” commented another.