16-6-2023 (BEIJING) A food delivery rider in Hangzhou, China, has been rewarded with 80,000 yuan (S$15,000) and a scholarship after he jumped 12 meters off a bridge to save a drowning woman. The heroic act was captured on video and has since gone viral on Chinese social media.
In the video, 31-year-old Peng Qinglin is seen holding onto the railing of Xixing Bridge, which stretches across the Qiantang River, before jumping into the water to rescue the woman. Peng reaches for the woman’s arm and manages to take her near a mounted ladder, where rescuers later bring them aboard to safety.
The incident happened on Tuesday (June 13), and according to China Daily, the woman survived and is in the hospital for observation. Peng, a delivery rider with the Chinese food delivery giant Meituan, was riding his e-bike across the bridge to deliver an order when he was alerted to the drowning woman by onlookers.
In an interview with Chinese broadcaster CCTV, Peng said, “I was definitely frightened because the bridge looked so high, but I didn’t think too much of it, as I just wanted to save her.”
After the rescue, Peng went to Zhejiang Xinhua Hospital, where doctors discovered a compression fracture in his spine. He was advised to be hospitalized for seven to ten days but did not require surgery.
The Hangzhou police rewarded Peng for his heroism with the “First Class Public Security Honor Medal” and a cash prize of 30,000 yuan, while Meituan gave him 50,000 yuan and the opportunity to study in college for free.
“I’m just a delivery guy like many others,” said Peng. “If I meet someone in danger, I will definitely lend a helping hand.”
