Liu Defang is 71 years old and until recently did not know how to swim. She learned after retiring, almost for entertainment, in Suixi County, Anhui Province, China. She never imagined that this late-acquired skill would become the reason someone is still alive today.
She was chatting with friends near a bridge when she heard the screams: a man had jumped into the water. Liu did not think twice. She jumped in too, grabbed a life jacket that someone threw to her, and although the man —who was half her age— resisted, she managed to drag him to shore.
After the rescue, she tried to disappear into the crowd. She did not want recognition and did not even tell her family. But the cameras gave her away, and her own brother recognized her in a viral video and scolded her for taking risks at her age. Liu has no regrets.