WHITBY, ONT.—A seven-year-old boy is being called a hero after he held onto a classmate dangling from a ski lift at a hill north of Toronto until rescue workers arrived with a net below.

Durham Regional police Sgt. Bill Calder says the boy’s classmate lost a ski while on a chairlift at Lakeridge Ski Resort in Uxbridge, Ont., around noon Thursday and the boy slipped off the chair when he turned around to look for it.

Calder says one of the boy’s friends on the lift grabbed him and held on, but couldn’t lift him back up.

He says the boy’s actions gave ski resort staff enough time to respond with a net below.

Police say the boy then dropped more than 12 metres, bounced off the net and onto the hill.

Calder says the boy was taken to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, but is in stable condition and is expected to fully recover.

“For a seven year old to have that type of maturity and willpower, that is something that goes beyond the expectation for any kid — it’s basically heroic,” Calder said.

He added the force will be recommending both the boy and the ski staff for citizen awards.