As the weather becomes warmer, Wang Xiguang, 50, a store owner from Xingyang in Henan province, becomes more watchful as he walks along the Yellow River in front of his small shop. Growing up along the Yellow River, Wang almostdrowned in it when he was 12, but luckily a villager saved him. Soon after that, he started learning how to swim.
Playing along the river is dangerous but it happens all the time, resulting in drowning. Wang says school children are the main victims(受害者). Now Wang is famous for saving many people, about one in a year, from drowning in the river over the past 32 years.
He said he has come to know the river well over the years and that it can become even more dangerous in summer. "My main wish is for people not to play by the river, especially along the dangerous sections where water runs fast, " he said.
In August, 2011, two pupils fell into the river during the summer. Hearing their cries for help, Wang ran out of his shop and jumped into the water. After saving one child, Wang found the other was moving away in the fast﹣running water. But he managed to save both pupils even though the water was becoming much deeper and faster.
With the children in their arms, their parents thanked Wang continuously. He just said, "It was just something I could do. "