Man climbs six storeys of building to rescue boy in south China then suddenly disappears

The parents of a four-year-old boy in southern China are looking for a man who saved the child after he became stuck in window bars at a residential flat and was left dangling six storeys off the ground, according to local media.

The boy was watching television alone on Thursday afternoon in the family apartment in a village in Longgang district in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, the Yangcheng Evening News reports.

He stepped out of a window and onto the metal bars and apparently slipped. But his head was large enough to stop him from falling all the way through. He didn’t have the strength to lift himself up and was left trapped about 20 metres off the ground.

Neighbours called the police, while others rushed outside with blankets to catch him and set up an inflatable mattress, the News reported.

One 59-year-old neighour tried to climb up, but became exhausted and had to stop when he reached the third floor. Other residents tried to break into the flat but it was locked.