London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Street seller scales burning building to rescue disabled man from fire

A Senegalese man has been hailed as a hero after scaling a burning building to rescue a disabled man from a fire.
Street seller Gorgui spared no thought for his own safety when he rushed to the rescue of Alex, 39, who was left bedridden after falling ill, on the Costa Blanca in Spain.

The rescue happened on December 6 at 12.24pm when a fire broke out on the first floor of Alex’s house on Calle Port de Denia in the centre of Alicante.

After seeing smoke billowing out from the house and hearing shouts for help, a neighbour raised the alarm.

Roberta Etter told The Local that she and another neighbour broke down the door, but were too scared to run into the burning building.

Then, out of nowhere, a young man dressed in bright blue threw down a sack of goods he was carrying and scaled the wall ‘like spiderman’.

Ms Etter said: ‘He just threw Alex over his shoulder and came back down a rickety ladder.

‘Alex wouldn’t have lasted another two minutes. The guy saved his life, there is no question about that.’

Eyewitnesses said the man washed his hands and then disappeared before anyone could catch his name or even say thank-you.

However, The Local tracked him down and identified him as a Senegalese street seller named Gorgui.

The father-of-one, who came to Spain on a boat from the West Coast of Africa two-and-a-half years ago, has insisted anyone would have done what he did.

He said: ‘I didn’t think, I just climbed up to get him.

‘It’s true that I am poor, that I don’t have money but I have a heart.

‘I have a heart that wants to help people and I knew I could save him.

‘A hero? I just did what any good human would do.’

Alex – who reportedly hadn’t been out of the flat in months – suffered from burns and smoke inhalation.

He was treated by paramedics at the scene before being transferred to the local hospital and onto a specialist burns uni at La Fe Hospital in Valencia.

He has now been discharged and is staying with a friend, according to reports.

Javier Scotto,the councillor for citizens’ safety, told news agency Efe he deserves praise because he helped ‘avoid a fatal situation’.

Mr Scotto said: ‘He carried out a heroic act without being prompted and he deserves public recognition for it.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×