'Not a big deal': Chinese grandma, 71, saves man from drowning and leaves scene without fanfare

A 71-year-old Chinese woman saved a man from drowning and left the scene without even identifying herself.

When the footage of the incident shared by Anhui police went viral online, netizens dubbed her the "white-haired grandma" and praised her while authorities searched for her.

It was the next day that  Liu Defang's (transliteration) brother told the police who the hero was.

On the evening of June 13, Liu was chatting with friends by a river in Suixi County, when she suddenly heard cries for help coming from the bridge nearby, reported Anhui Daily.

The retiree took her shoes off, grabbed a lifebuoy given to her by another woman, and didn't hesitate to get into the river to rescue a man who had seemingly jumped in.

Liu told reporters: "At first, I was very anxious because I thought a child had fallen into the river.

"But when I swam up to him and grabbed his arm, I realised he was a young man who looked to be about 30 years old."

She added that the man did not cooperate at first and tried to break free, but she held onto him tightly.

Liu felt she was tiring after struggling with the man for a while, but eventually managed to push him onto the shore with the help of the lifebuoy and two passers-by.

After checking everything was okay, she left the scene.

"The entire rescue operation lasted over 20 minutes," she told Anhui Daily. "After returning home, I didn't make a big deal out of it and didn't tell my family, as I was afraid they would worry."

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Fitness enthusiast 

Liu was also asked if she exercised frequently, considering she managed to rescue someone less than half her age from a five-metre-deep river.

"I certainly do enjoy exercising," she said. "When I lived with my daughter, I had a gym membership and practiced everything from yoga to aerobics. 

"I’m actually quite good at yoga."

She also learnt to swim by herself while at the gym, and didn't think of her own limitations when it came to rescuing the man.

While her daughter Xu Shihui (transliteration) was proud of Liu, she also felt a lingering fear that her elderly mother jumped in to save someone. The family would have been devastated if anything went wrong.

Nevertheless, she praised her mum for her "warm heart", noting Liu would be the first to lend a hand if anyone in their community faced difficulties.

Liu's close friend, Han Mei, 59, was also moved to tears after hearing of the rescue.

"For someone in her seventies to jump into the water to save a life without regard for her own safety — she is the pride of Suixi, and indeed the pride of all of Huaibei," she said.

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