The elderly woman was chatting with friends in Suixi County, Anhui Province when she heard desperate cries for help coming from a nearby bridge on the evening of July 13, Asia One reported, citing Anhui Daily.
Believing a child had fallen into the water, the woman, later identified as Liu Defang, took off her shoes, grabbed a lifebuoy handed to her by another woman, and leapt into the river.
Liu Defang saves a man from drowning in Suixi County, Anhui Province on July 13, 2026 and is rewarded by local police. Photos from Weibo
Liu told reporters: "At first, I was very anxious because I thought a child had fallen into the river."
"But when I swam up to him and grabbed his arm, I realized he was a young man who looked to be about 30 years old," she told Anhui Daily.
