Chinese grandma, 71, saves drowning man from river before quietly slipping away

A 71-year-old grandmother in eastern China jumped into a river to save a young man who tried to drown himself because of his relationship problems, winning widespread admiration on social media.The man was filmed on July 13 climbing onto a bridge’s railing before decisively jumping into a river in Suixi county in Anhui province, the Anhui Daily reported.Liu Defang, a white-haired retiree, was chatting with friends near the bridge when she heard someone shouting, “Someone has fallen into the water!”Liu quickly ran to the riverbank and took off her shoes. She caught a lifebuoy thrown to her by a woman nearby and jumped into the water without hesitation, the report said.“I initially thought it was a little kid, so I felt very anxious. As I swam near him and grabbed his arm, I found he was a man in his 30s,” Liu recalled, according to the report.The man apparently did not want to live. He tried to break free from Liu, but she held him tightly.The white-haired retiree recalled chatting with her friends near the bridge when sudden shouts alerted her that someone had fallen into the water. Photo: BaiduThey struggled for some time in an area where the water was five metres deep. Liu later admitted that she felt exhausted at the time.But with the help of the lifebuoy, she managed to drag the man to the shore. Two local residents, standing in the mud, pulled the man onto dry land, the viral video showed.After confirming the man’s safety, Liu quietly left the scene without giving her name.“The rescue process lasted about 20 minutes. It was not a big deal for me. I did not tell my family for fear that they would worry about me,” Liu was quoted as saying.Further ReadingThe police authority began searching for the Good Samaritan. It released videos of the incident, checked surveillance cameras from nearby streets and sought information from the public.Within 10 hours, the videos received 8,000 likes, 4,000 shares and 500 complimentary comments on social media.It was the next day when Liu’s older brother recognised his sister in the viral videos and contacted the police, bringing Liu into the spotlight.Some members of the public heavily praised Liu for her decisive bravery, noting that she plunged into the river without a single moment of hesitation. Photo: BaiduBut her brother was more concerned about her safety, Liu said.“My brother scolded me severely. He said, ‘You are already over 70 years old. How dare you jump into the river to save others? Why didn’t you think of the consequences?’” Liu said, adding that her daughter shared the same worries.“In those circumstances, anyone would have offered help to save the man.”The septuagenarian is a fitness enthusiast, particularly skilled at yoga. After retiring, she taught herself how to swim.Liu said she would like to comfort the man who had tried to take his own life, saying: “Any difficulties will come to an end. Nothing is as important as life. Don’t give up too easily.”