Samaritan rescues trapped motorist in river

Zhai Qiuyun, an express delivery worker for the electronics retailer Suning, heard calls for help while driving his delivery vehicle in Maogang Town, Songjiang District, around 4pm on August 15.

Spectators who had gathered by the river told him that a car had gone into the river with the driver inside.

The white car was sinking quickly, Zhai recalled.

Without hesitation, he took a wrench used to remove tyres and jumped into river.

Zhai swam to the car, the front of which was totally submerged. He gesticulated the driver to get into the back seat and exerted all his strength to crack a window.

Once released from the vehicle, the driver was unable to swim to safety, so Zhai brought him to the bank. By the time they got there, the car was had disappeared under the water.

"I could not think twice because it was the moment of life and death and a race against time," Zhai said. "It would be too late if the car was totally submerged."

"I was also nervous at that moment because the river is deep, but if it happens again, I will do the same thing," said the good samaritan.

He slightly injured the fingers on his right hand in the rescue, but returned to work after short rest.

Songjiang District Government plans to apply for a good samaritan title for Zhai, and his company has already rewarded him with 5,000 yuan (US$740).