Officer who caught ‘thrown baby’ saluted

The officer who showed much-needed hand-eye coordination and heroically leapt to catch a falling infant has been lauded.

Nelson Mandela Bay Metro police Constable Luyolo Nojulumba was the man who, when seconds counted and the baby’s life was in danger, held down the fort.

Nelson Mandela Bay Metro police Constable Luyolo Nojulumba. Image: Twitter/Athol Trollip

Nojulumba was next to the shack looking up while police attempted to talk the baby’s father down – on the roof of a shack.

At the moment the father hurled his daughter off the roof, it was Nojulumba who among community members came to the rescue, with the baby landing in his arms.

The heroic officer was commended by the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Police Department.

In his certificate handed to him on Friday, the department thanked him for his outstanding performance during the Land Invasion Operation on Thursday in Joe Slovo.

“While serving in this area, your duties [which] included crowd management and protection of the community. During this operation you prevented serious injury or murder of a one-year-old,” read his certificate of commemoration.

The young girl is safe with its mother, and the father is facing attempted murder charges.

Certificate issued to Nelson Mandela Bay Metro police Constable Luyolo Nojulumba

Our Metro Police Hero, Cnst Nojumbula, who yesterday saved a young girl’s life when she was tossed from a rooftop of an illegally erected structure by her father. Cnst Nojumbula caught the young girl mid-air, preventing certain injury or death. 👏🏽👏🏽 https://t.co/LYQcdmjbsd

— Athol Trollip (@AtholT) April 13, 2018