Firefighter Catches Suicide Jumper Mid-Air, Hailed A Hero

A firefighter's heroic act has gone viral on social media after he rescued the life of a man who was trying to suicide in Latvia.

This quick-thinking fire squad entered a lower flat and successfully rescued someone who had fallen from the fourth floor of a multi-story structure.

For a brief moment, it appears as if the fireman will be yanked out of the window as well, but a colleague grabs him and ensures he remains firm.

“We received a call to a multi-apartment building where there was a suspicion that a person was going to jump from a fourth-floor window,” a spokesperson for the Latvian Fire Service told an online tabloid in 2018.

The video shows the rescue worker's physical prowess and their out-of-the-box method for catching the victim.

As the video progresses, it depicts the shootout awaiting the man who was attempting to take his own life. As soon as the man falls from an apartment block, the firefighter grabs his legs and holds him in place. Soon after, he grabbed him, and other workers rushed forward to help him into the building through the window.

The footage was first shared on Reddit with more than 213k views and at least 8.4k comments before going viral on other social media websites. The Twitter user's video has been viewed 533.9k times and has received 3.8k retweets and 24.7k likes.

(Trigger warning: The next video contains frightening footage. It is recommended that viewers exercise caution.)

Minister Oskars Abolins, who handles the fire service, said the incident highlights the heroism and bravery of individuals working in their firefighting service, as well as firefighter's capacity to think outside the box, which on this occasion resulted in saving the life of a human being.

Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis praised the "extraordinary" rescue that "saved a life."

Netizens were astounded by the footage, and many praised the firefighter for his bravery. After witnessing the footage, some users were puzzled about how the firefighter was able to catch the man in mid-flight.

One Twitter netizen said: "With gravity increasing the speed and velocity that body weight had to be double. I'm absolutely amazed at that catch... Thank God for that firefighter!"

"I hope the suicide jumper got the help and support needed after this. Very sad to see. What a hero the fireman is. He had a one in a billion chance to catch the guy," another one said.