/ 24 March 2009

Spider-Man rescues autistic Thai boy

A Thai fireman turned superhero when he dressed up as comic-book character Spider-Man to coax a frightened eight-year-old from a balcony, police said on Tuesday.

Teachers at a special needs school in Bangkok alerted authorities on Monday when an autistic pupil, scared of going to lessons, sat out on the third-floor ledge and refused to come inside, said a police sergeant.

Despite teachers’ efforts to beckon the boy inside, he refused to budge until his mother mentioned her son’s love of superheroes, prompting fireman Sonchai Yoosabai to take a novel approach to the problem.

“My fireman rushed back to the fire station and took out his Spider-Man costume … The boy immediately ran into his arms with a smile,” sergeant Virat Boonsadao said.

He said the fireman keeps the costume at work to liven up school fire drills. – AFP