A delivery man who plunged into a river to rescue a drowning girl in eastern China has been hailed as a hero on social media.
On Oct. 13, the 6-year-old girl slipped and fell into the river while washing a mop in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, CGTN reported.
CCTV footage shows the delivery man passing by the river and noticing the girl struggling in the water.
The man immediately stops his motorbike, leaves his mobile phone and jumps into the river to save the girl.
Another girl, presumably the victim’s companion, watches the scene unfold from the riverside.
After ensuring the girl was safe, the man returns to the river to retrieve one of her shoes.
The video quickly went viral on Chinese social media, with many praising the heroic act.
The man, identified as 23-year-old He Linfeng, was a Meituan food delivery man accomplishing an order at the time of the incident.
“I saw movement in the water and was shocked to see a child drowning,” He told Beijing News. “I saw that her shoes were missing,’ he said. ‘I was wet already anyway, so I decided to go back in to get her shoes.”
He then made sure that girl got home safely, according to Zhejiang 24 Hours. The girl was alone as her parents were working when the incident occurred.
Meituan, backed by Tencent, awarded He with an undisclosed amount of cash as a “model driver” last week.
Netizens showered He with blessings:
“Thank God for this Good Samaritan.”
“He didn’t only save the girl’s life, but also her shoes!”
“God bless that man.”
“He’s spreading positive energy!”
“We need more people like him.”
