The sensational "diving grandpas" from north China's Tianjin, who have taken the Internet by storm with their daring antics, on Wednesday announced that they would quit the water-splashing sport out of concern for public safety.
The sudden explosive exposure on social media has drawn numerous curious tourists from across the country to the Shizilin Bridge over the Haihe River in Tianjin, where the veteran swimmers perform diving.
However, some inexperienced divers, in trying to emulate the seniors, have met with accidents and got themselves injured, placing a burden on rescue teams.
Some of the grandpas have begun volunteering to keep order for the crowds that throng to see the aerial performance on the bridge.
With an average age of 60, the diving grandpas loosely identify themselves as the Shizilin Bridge Diving Team. They started as a bunch of local enthusiasts, who went swimming in the city's rivers, later they tried their hand at diving. The hobby has now lasted for more than three decades.
