Drowned man declared a hero

The dead body of Niu Zuotao lies in a coffin on Oct 21 as his wife and daughter bid a final farewell in Guangzhou. His wife said, "It is like a nightmare, when I close my eyes he is right in front of me." [Photo by Yao Sidong/for China Daily]
GUANGZHOU - A man who died last week trying to save a drowning woman has been declared a hero by the city government.

Niu Zuotao, 31, a retired soldier, originally from Heze of East China's Shandong province, was walking along the river with friends when they saw a woman jump into the Pearl River at about 8:40 pm last Tuesday, police said at a news conference on Saturday.

Niu quickly took off his shoes and jumped into the river. He tried to pull the woman from behind to the riverbank, but the terrified woman made it difficult for him to get a grip on the bank and they drifted out into the middle of the river, until both were out of strength and drowned. Niu's body was found the next day.

His wife Chen Pingyan is still coming to terms with his death.

"It is like a nightmare, when I close my eyes, he is alive right in front of me," she said.

Chen said Niu was an honest man and she consoles herself with the knowledge that his act of bravery has been affirmed as a moral act of courage.

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