Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

AsiaWire

This is the moment a selfless pub owner jumps into a river fully clothed to save a boy who has crashed his bicycle off an embankment into a river.

Footage from the county of Zhenyuan, which is in China’s south-western province of Guizhou, shows the young boy riding out of an alley but failing to slow down as he careers towards the water’s edge on 21st March.

His bicycle hits the end of the embankment and he flies into the Wuyang River, with several witnesses spotting him shortly after.

As a number of people gather along the riverbank to watch the struggling child, pub owner Xu Jing can be seen rushing out and attempting to rescue the boy using a stick.

When that fails, the CCTV video shows Mr Xu taking off his glasses and jumping into the water fully clothed.

He is then seen carrying the boy out of the water via a set of stone steps in the corner of the frame.

According to reports, the boy was taken to Zhenyuan People’s Hospital for a check-up and has since returned home to continue his recovery.

The child was not in any life-threatening condition thanks to Mr Xu’s actions.

Mr Xu, who is a musician, was in the middle of renovating his riverside pub in tourist hotspot Zhenyuan Old Town when the accident happened.

He recalled: “I heard a lot of people shouting. I ran over with a bamboo pole and tried to hook the boy back onto land, but the stick wasn’t long enough, so I jumped in.

“Even though it was right by the riverbank, it was still about 3 to 4 metres (9 to 12 feet) deep. It was very dangerous.

“It’s now spring, but the water temperature is still very low.”

The boy’s father, Mr Yuan, said the accident happened just moments after his son said he was going out to play with his friends.

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