A supermarket manager in Puebla, Mexico, has been praised after sprinting into a busy road to rescue a three-year-old girl who ran into the path of oncoming traffic.
Luis Cruz was working outside the El Rey del Ahorro store on Sunday, 6 September, when the child broke away from her parents and ran towards the Avenida 11 Sur in the San Isidro Castillotla area.
Security footage shows two adults chasing after her, with the woman falling as the toddler reached the road. Cruz immediately abandoned his work and ran towards the girl as vehicles approached.
He reached her moments before a silver vehicle crossed her path, grabbing her and pulling her backwards. The pair fell to the ground, while drivers brought their cars to a halt.
Cruz then carried the child back to her guardians before returning to the supermarket as traffic began moving again. The girl was unharmed.
The rescue was captured by the store’s CCTV cameras and later shared online, prompting widespread praise for the manager’s quick reaction.
Local reports said Cruz suffered minor grazes to his elbows and knee during the fall, but did not require serious medical attention.
El Rey del Ahorro rewarded him with 20,000 Mexican pesos, worth about £850, and named him Manager of the Year in recognition of the rescue.
In a post about the incident, the supermarket said Cruz had acted bravely despite having no connection to the child. It added that no reward could fully compensate him for what it described as an invaluable act of heroism.
“Today, Puebla has a new superhero,” the store said.
