Wuhan was the scene of a lucky day for one lady and lad earlier this week, when a student from Nantong in Jiangsu found himself the rescuer of the old woman who had fallen into the treacherous waters of the Yangtze River.
This Monday, 13 March, turned out to be quite a day for Ma Qianwu, who is studying for an art masters in the School of Art at Nantong University in our very own Jiangsu Province.
Born in 1995, Ma was out collecting materials for a university project under an observation bridge on the riverbank in Hankou of Wuhan in Hubei Province.
While using a drone to also gather some aerial photographs, a faint cry for help came to his ear. Putting down the drone, he followed the sound and came across that he later described as “a shocking scene”; an old lady drowning in the Yangtze River waters.
The lady may have been only three or four metres from shore, but it was still a critical situation. Quickly entering the River, Ma found the water freezing cold and was almost unable to move in the deep mud underfoot.
Realising he could not swim out to the lady, Ma nevertheless found luck was on his side as he noticed there was nearby a water-environment-management unit close nearby.
After dragging himself from the River, Ma was able to attract their attention, whereupon the crew therein immediately took a salvage boat out to effect a rescue. And successful they were, as the Yangtze Evening News has reported.
Ma then cooperated with the crew to summon several college students from Wuhan University, also not far away, so that they could all to work together to lift the old lady ashore.
With her regaining consciousness and police and ambulances on the scene, a muddied, troubled and shaking Ma quietly left the area, to then post a message on his WeChat Moments to record this unforgettable experience.
That post was picked up on by one of his professors back in Nantong University. In the face of the subsequent praise, Ma calmly said, “When others encounter difficulties, I should do what I can to help them. It’s no big deal”.
