Drunken father in China throws toddler into river during quarrel, mother jumps in to rescue child

Father throws baby into river after quarrel with wife

A disturbing incident occurred in China when a drunken father threw his toddler into a river during a quarrel with his wife.

A 51-second video by a witness captured the man throwing the infant over the bridge.

His wife then screamed in shock before jumping into the water to save her child.

Shortly afterwards, the man followed his wife by leaping into the river as well. Another child can be heard crying loudly in the background.

In a second clip, bystanders gathered to rescue the family, with a person dropping a log into the river for them to cling to.

Argument prompted father to throw baby off bridge

The incident took place last Sunday (22 Feb) in Chaozhou, Guangdong, when the couple was taking a stroll on a bridge with their two young children.

An argument subsequently broke out between them.

Under the influence of alcohol, the man became enraged and grabbed and hurled one of his children into the river.

Wife leapt into water to save her child

The wife froze in a moment of disbelief before letting out a scream.

She then leapt over the railings and plunged into the water to save her child.

Seeing his wife jump, he followed her into the water.

Left alone on the bridge was the other child, running around frantically, sobbing and crying for help.

Bystanders rushed to help the family

Alerted by the incident, bystanders rushed to help the family.

A man ran to the grass patch near the bridge, found a thick log, and threw it into the river, shouting for the three in the water to grab hold so they would not be swept away.

Two others jumped into the river, swimming toward the family.

Deep waters and swift currents meant that rescuers struggled to stay steady as the flow pushed against them.

Some called the police, some cheered for those in the water, and others knelt to comfort the terrified older son, holding him gently and patting his back while assuring him that his parents would be fine.

They were all rescued with the help of bystanders

Through the combined efforts, the infant was finally brought to shore.

Chinese reports mentioned that the rescued child’s face had turned purple, and he was motionless, choking on river water.

Rescuers patted the toddler’s back in an attempt to have the child cough up water.

Soon after, the mother and father were also pulled to shore. Drenched and with hair matted to her face, the mother collapsed on the ground, clutching her baby and wailing.

She sobbed and cursed the man, completely overwhelmed by emotion.

He could be charged with intentional homicide or injury

Legal experts state that the father’s act went beyond “losing emotional control” and falls under attempted homicide or intentional injury.

Experts added that the act of jumping in afterwards only serves as a factor for sentencing leniency, but it does not erase the crime.

Also read: Toddler left stranded on roadside in Philippines after parents allegedly fought

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Featured image adapted from 01 unlisted on YouTube.