Story By:  Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency:  Newsflash

This is the nail-biting moment when a pensioner who disappeared in a pond when she was washing her clothes was saved by a passerby who jumped in and pulled her to safety.

The incident took place in Shibahu Village, in Duqiao Town which is in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province.

Elderly Ms Su had been washing clothes in the two-metre-deep pond as she usually does when she slipped and fell in.

Ms Xiangmei, who was on the roof of a building next to the pond, said: “I saw two hands fluttering in the pond, and there was no one nearby.

“I saw some people on the other side who had not seen what was happening, and I called them to help quickly.”

The people, later identified as Mr Changcheng and Mr Yuxing, who were more than 300 metres away, said they heard the cry for help and immediately ran to the pond, arriving there a minute later.

Mr Yuxing grabbed a pool net and held it close to Ms Su for her to grab on to. However, she lacked the strength as her head bobbed above and below the water’s surface.

But Mr Changcheng saved the day by stripping down to his underwear, jumping into the water, and swimming over to the elderly lady in distress.

He then swam with the pensioner in his arms to the edge of the pond, where he, Mr Yuxing and another man helped her out.

The elderly woman was taken to hospital for treatment, and her health condition was described as good.

The woman’s family thanked Ms Xiangmei, Mr Changcheng and Mr Yuxing, who were also honoured by the Linhai City Public Security Bureau on 23rd April.