71-year-old Liu Defang saves man from river after learning to swim post-retirement

Liu Defang, 71, began swimming only after she left her job, a skill that later became crucial. On July 13 near a bridge in Suixi county, Anhui province, she heard someone fall into the river and, after a nearby woman threw a lifebuoy, she waded in expecting a child. Instead she found a man in his 30s who had climbed onto the bridge railing and jumped, possibly due to relationship issues, and he initially tried to pull away.

Liu held onto him, swam toward the bank and, with assistance from people on shore, brought him to safety, then left the scene quietly in wet clothes. Police released surveillance video to locate the rescuer; Liu’s brother recognized her, and her family expressed both relief and worry over the risk she took. The episode drew praise on Chinese social media and underscored how learning new abilities later in life can enable unexpected heroism.