The man is knocked down after catching the boy. Photo: screenshot of btime.com/miaopai.com

A man from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was in the right place at the right time to save a 2-year-old child falling from the fifth floor on Thursday.

The man, 28, from Yining, Xinjiang, had just parked his vehicle after arriving home when he saw a child falling from the building.

"I didn't think too much and tried to catch the child." He was knocked unconscious after the child landed on him, the man told a reporter from the Xinjiang Metropolis Consume Morning Post.

The child and the man were rushed to hospital, but neither suffered serious injuries and was released.

A doctor at the hospital said that the child would have likely died or suffered a very serious injury if the man hadn't caught him.

"Our child weighs about 13 kilograms," a family member of the child said, noting the man undoubtedly saved the child's life. 

"We'll consider the man a part of our family forever," said the family member.

"I also have a child," the heroic man said. "I'm glad to see the child is fine. That's all that matters."

It is unknown how the child  fell from the building.