British diplomat Stephen Ellison hailed as hero in China after rescuing woman from river
- Video of consul general, 61, leaping into water to save student racks up tens of millions of views on social media
- Footage shows Ellison dragging woman to a lifebuoy thrown from the riverbank before dragging the two of them to shore
A British diplomat has become a hero in China after a video of him rescuing a student from a swollen river racked up tens of millions of views on social media.
Britain’s mission in Chongqing said on Monday that Consul General Stephen Ellison leapt into action at the weekend to save a woman who had fallen into a river coursing through a nearby tourist town.
“Due to the timely rescue, the woman quickly recovered her breathing and consciousness,” read the post on the consulate’s official Weibo page.
Ellison, 61, was visiting the town on Saturday when he heard a cry from a crowd of people as the woman fell into the water.
Video footage shared by the consulate and various Chinese media outlets shows Ellison, 61, jumping fully clothed into the river, where the unnamed woman was struggling to stay afloat.
Ellison – by several media accounts an accomplished triathlete – dragged her to a lifebuoy thrown from the riverbank before dragging the two of them to shore.