Teen helps save four-year-old boy who had fallen into icy lake, gets rewarded for heroism
A teen girl earned praise after she bravely went into the icy Yuhai Lake in Ningxia, China, on 6 Dec, to save a boy who had fallen in.
According to People’s Daily, the four-year-old boy was playing on the frozen lake at 3pm, when he broke through the thin ice and fell into the frigid water.
Source:Â Hunan Daily
Witnesses immediately called emergency services to rescue the boy but were afraid to approach, fearing the ice would collapse again.
Teen falls into water while trying to rescue boy
13-year-old Li Jiating, who was passing by on her bicycle, spotted the scene and ran down onto the ice to save the boy without hesitation.
She approached the edge of the hole and urged the boy to grab onto the other end of a pipe, which was handed to her by a passerby, Xinhua News reported.
However, while pulling him up, the ice beneath Ms Li broke, and she fell into the lake as well.
Source: Hunan Daily
Upon seeing this, the adults at the scene immediately worked together and pulled the teen out of the water.
Firefighters also arrived at the scene and managed to rescue the boy.
Source: Hunan Daily
Girl leaves scene without a word
At 3.40pm, the boy was determined to be out of danger.
Meanwhile, Ms Li quietly left the scene after drying herself off, without telling anyone her name.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
When her father asked her why she arrived home wet, the teen only said she had been drenched by a water truck.
Grateful for her effort to save their son, the boy’s parents posted a notice on social media to find the brave teen.
It was only when Ms Li’s father received a late-night call from his aunt that he learned about his daughter’s heroism.
Teen showered with gifts for heroic act
Following the incident, Ms Li was recognised by her school as a “Good Samaritan with Outstanding Moral Character”.
Then, on 7 Dec, the boy’s family and staff from her school visited Ms Li’s home, bringing gifts including fruit, a slaughtered lamb, and cash from the boy’s parents.
Source: Hunan Daily
Ms Li’s parents initially declined the gifts, but later settled on keeping the fruits and lamb.
They refused the money, saying that their daughter had simply done an act of kindness.
On 8 Dec, the Tongxin County Party Committee and County Government also visited the teen’s home and presented Ms Li with RMB10,000 (S$1,800), while the Tongxin County People’s Hospital awarded her with “Lifetime Free Medical Checkups”.
Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba also reportedly reached out and gave Ms Li a special prize and cash reward of RMB5,000 (S$900) for her bravery.
Also read: 11-year-old girl uses Heimlich manoeuvre to save woman choking on bubble tea in China
11-year-old girl uses Heimlich manoeuvre to save woman choking on bubble tea in China
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Featured image adapted from Xinhua News Agency and Hunan Daily.
