Lending a hand on the canal trail in Wuxi

My name is Horace Edward Beacham III (the third) though all my friends call me Teddy. My Chinese name is 白瀚達, given to me by my first Chinese teacher in high school. I am an American from South Florida and after completing my Asian Studies undergraduate degree from Florida International University, I moved to Wuxi and became an English teacher. I've been doing that for about 10 years now and remain at Wuxi Rise, an afterschool training center in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province.

For those 10 years I've lived solely in the Wuxi New District, in various locations up and down Changjiang North Road. I'd been running for a long time in the district but more recently I began running more often, sharing encouragement with a group of friends that all wish to become better runners. I only bring up running because in the past few years, the Wuxi district completed its most modern and charming outdoor feature, the Bodu Park and canal walking trail.

I try to run the trail at least twice a week, and last Friday on Jan 17 I ran into an old woman in distress. Whilst coming to one end of the trail, by Xinchang Road I noticed small waves in the otherwise still canal water. As I ran closer, a hand appeared from under the ledge and I neared to see an elderly woman holding on to the side of the canal. I immediately stopped and climbed over the railing to offer her assistance.

[Video provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

She was partially submerged past her knees but was standing on the bottom edge of the canal wall, a small portion of footing before the deepest parts of the water. I reached out to help her and asked her to give me her hand in Chinese, but she was cold and scared, speaking in the Wuxi dialect which I don't understand. I attempted to pull her up, but holding on to the railing for support, I would only be able to pull her up with one hand. It was clear I would only injure her if I tried.

I laid down and put my legs under the railing and back on the trail, and whilst flat put my hands under her arms to see if I could pull her up, however at the given angle and without the help of another person, I could only make sure she wouldn't fall deeper into the water. I called out for help and noticed across the canal a group of people who shouted back that they had called the police, so I continued to hold on to her. The police arrived incredibly fast, in mere minutes thanks to the city's new rapid response motorcycles, and they appeared on the bridge above us, at which time I shouted "Here! Quickly!"

In the next few moments, they had sprinted to our location and rescued the elderly woman. An officer gave me a thumbs-up and another asked for my information, which I quickly gave. I was in a state of mild shock and asked if there was anything they needed me to do, and they said perhaps later I would receive a call. With that confirmation, I didn't know what else to do besides completing my run. I carried on and replayed the events that had just occurred in my head, feeling bewildered but also extremely fortunate that the elderly woman was alright.

I was later asked why I did it and truly believe there was no why but rather an action that immediately followed seeing a person in need of help. Now my only conclusion is that it's because I was running. I was already in an elevated physical and mental state due to my exercise, and with my body moving and my heart beating it felt like the next logical thing to do.

I wasn't thinking, and maybe that's the best part about running, that you can take care of mental clutter and be in a focused zone. All I thought at the time was "I need to stop running and help this person." I'm a bit embarrassed by the recent response to my actions, especially because it was the police who truly saved this woman. I truly believe anyone else would have done the same, if they found themselves there alone in the same situation.

The canal trail is in my neighborhood. I run the trail all the time, which makes everyone on it my neighbor. When other runners pass from the opposite way, I wave. When someone else is walking where I intend to run, I try to move by politely without disturbing them. Helping someone in need is the kind of thing I'd like to believe most runners and most humans would do. The races and cross-country runs I've attended are full of Chinese and foreign people that strongly support their community and each other. They share encouragement and help each other when they're struggling.

The Bodu Park and canal trail is such a great and beautiful public space. The way I've tried to show my appreciation for it is to be polite and helpful when I use it. It's been such a privilege to see Wuxi become more beautiful and modern over the past 10 years, but I am particularly proud of the amazing place that Wuxi New District has become, and I am proud to call it my home.

The author is an English teacher at Wuxi Rise, an afterschool training center.