Baby Girl Falls From Window Onto Awning Above NYC Sidewalk

A pharmacy worker is being hailed as a hero after he rescued an 18-month-old girl that nearly fell off an awning onto a New York City sidewalk Friday.

Image source: WPIX-TV

The baby girl apparently clambered out through a hole next to a window air conditioning unit and tumbled onto the awning below. That's where she was lying when pedestrians and store owners spotted her, WPIX-TV reported.

While two people dashed underneath the awning waiting to catch the baby, pharmacy worker Qing Chen ran into the apartment building above and, after telling the little girl's mother what was happening, crawled through the same hole and moved out onto the awning to rescue her.

"All I was worried about was grabbing her as soon as I can before she makes another move," Chen, a father himself, told WPIX. "I just grabbed her by the arm and took her into my chest and I just held her really tight and I got back onto the roof and gave the baby back to the mom."

According to WPIX, the mother had been cooking and didn't realize the baby got outside. The mother was crying nonstop from the moment Chen arrived.

"I'm glad that I saved her, that could have been anybody's baby, that could have been my baby," Chen said.

The little girl was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The police department said no charges would be filed.

--

[related]