A British diplomat has been hailed as a hero in China after jumping into a river to save a woman from drowning while other bystanders gathered to film him.
Stephen Ellison, the newly appointed British Consul General in Chongqing, was visiting an ancient town on Saturday when another tourist accidentally fell into the water.
Mr Ellison has lived and worked in China for nine years and will be the new Consul General in Chongqing
Mr Ellison, a 61-year-old champion triathlete, leapt into the river without a second thought to rescue the woman, who was already unconscious, according to the British Consulate-General in Chongqing.
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.
”We are all immensely proud of our Chongqing Consul General,” the British diplomatic mission in China tweeted on Monday.
Ellison’s actions earned praise from his boss back in London, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who echoed the sentiments.
”Very proud of Stephen Ellison, our new Consul General in Chongqing, China, for saving a student from drowning at the weekend,” he tweeted. “His bravery and commitment demonstrates the very best of British diplomats around the world.”
The hashtag “British Consul General in Chongqing saves female student who fell in the water” had gained almost 40 million acknowledgements on Weibo by Monday evening as news of Ellison’s bravery spread.
A British diplomat has been hailed as a hero in China after jumping into a river to save a woman from drowning while other bystanders gathered to film him.
Mr Ellison has lived and worked in China for nine years and will be the new Consul General in Chongqing
Ellison’s actions earned praise from his boss back in London, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who echoed the sentiments.
