A three-year-old girl has been rescued after hanging from the window ledge of a building in east London for at least nine minutes, with a police officer and a member of the public managing to catch her as she fell.The incident occurred on the Ilford Highway on Tuesday afternoon, with passersby spotting the child clinging to a window above the pawnbroker’s shop and raising the alarm.Footage circulated on social media showed crowds gathering below as the girl struggled to hold on. A woman was seen extending her hand from a lower window while passersby shouted for help.When the girl’s grip weakened, the police officer stood on a ledge below her.
Moments later, local resident Mehmet Cecil joined the rescue effort after climbing onto the rooftops of nearby houses.The pair moved directly under the girl before she lost her grip and fell. Jessel held her down, while the officer helped steady them as onlookers cheered from the street below.
Jessel, a restaurant manager and father of five-month-old twins, explained that he rushed to the scene after hearing the commotion.
“My instinct ran out. I’m a father of five-month-old twins, and as a father I just had a reaction,” he told Metro.“I wasn’t afraid, I wasn’t thinking. I’m not a hero, I did it like a father seeing a child in trouble.”He described the moments following the rescue, saying there was “huge relief” and revealing that the girl responded by giving him a “huge hug.”Jessel also credited his sporting background with helping him achieve the goal, saying: “I played cricket in India, so maybe that helped me achieve my goal.
“I just knew I had to focus.”The girl’s father described the officer and Jessel as “wonderful heroes” and said that his daughter survived injury.“They were both great. They were champions. We feel very relieved,” he said. “They saved our baby.”He added that the girl is recovering well and is expected to return to school the next day.The father said Jessel was a “complete stranger” to the family and expressed gratitude for his actions.The Metropolitan Police said officers were called to the Ilford Highway shortly after 3.20pm after reports of a child on a windowsill.According to the force, the girl was taken to safety within minutes by an attending officer and a member of the public.Police said the child did not suffer any injuries.