THIS is the harrowing moment hero cops rescue a young boy dangling 21 storeys in the air off a Benidorm balcony.
Shocking footage shows a cop reaching over the balcony edge to save an eight-year-old perched on an air conditioning unit above a busy beach promenade.
The child’s father has been arrested in connection with the incident.
The nightmare unfolded around 11pm on July 25 when a neighbour spotted the Bulgarian child dangling from the 21st floor, prompting the building’s concierge to call emergency services.
Blocked by a locked front door, officers were forced to enter the apartment of the adjacent balcony to reach the boy.
Given the extreme danger, one officer reached out to hold the terrified boy with a fully extended arm while his partner physically anchored him.
The concierge were eventually able to produce a copy of the keys to the tourist’s apartment which allowed police to drag the child to safety.
Following an inspection of the apartment, cops found the child’s Bulgarian passport as well as documents that allowed his father to be identified.
When the father returned to the scene he was arrested for the alleged crime of temporary abandonment of a minor.
The father told cops he had gone out to do some shopping.
Police took him into custody at the local station to clarify the details surrounding the incident.
In Facebook post, Benidorm Police said: “There’s no world play today.
“There’s just a story today that could have ended in the worst possible way.
“Last night our officers responded to a call reporting a child in extreme danger outside an apartment on the 21st floor.
“In a picture that says it all, one of our officers firmly holds the child.
“A hand that for a few minutes seemed like an eternity was the difference between danger and life.
“The quick action of our officers allowed them to bring the child to safety.
“Some nights police work involves arresting, filing charges, or intervening.
“And some nights it simply involves arriving on time and holding on.
“Last night that holding hand couldn’t fail and it didn’t let go.”
