Spanish tourist saves boy from river

A Spanish tourist whose quick instincts saved a young Chinese boy from drowning in a river in Hunan province has garnered praise from Chinese netizens.

Marta Santana, 31, was traveling along the Tuojiang River in Hunan's Fenghuang ancient town with friends at around noon on Aug 7 when she noticed a boy, who had been playing near the water, trip and fall into the river.

"The water then swept the boy downstream. I realized he could not swim, and the water had already covered his face," she said.

Santana, a former swimming coach with 10 years of experience and lifeguard skills, did not hesitate to act when she saw that the boy was in distress.

"I did not think twice and jumped into the river to save him. I grabbed him so he would not sink under the water," she said.

The boy's grandfather also jumped into the water shortly after Santana. Together, they pulled the boy ashore. Santana noted the spot was "quite deep with a strong current for a child".

"It was instinct that made me jump in to save him," she said, adding that she remains vigilant near water because she knows water currents represent danger.

Videos of the rescue spread online, drawing widespread praise from Chinese netizens for the Spanish tourist's heroic actions. Santana expressed relief that the child was safe and said she "would definitely do the same thing" if she encountered a similar situation. She also praised the grandfather who jumped in and aided in the rescue.

Witnesses said the stone pier bridge from which Santana jumped was approximately 5 to 10 meters from the spot where the child fell into the water, and the current was swift.

Subsequent to the rescue, the topic "foreign female visitor bravely saved a boy in Fenghuang ancient town" trended on social media platform Sina Weibo, with views across the internet surpassing 1.8 million. Netizens left comments such as "Kindness has no borders" and "Those preparing to jump into the water are also heroes".

Santana, on her first trip to China after arriving in late July, has visited Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Zhangjiajie and Xiangxi in Hunan province. She said that the trip has been perfect.

"I have enjoyed this trip to China," she said. "I especially like the hospitality of the Chinese people."

Yang Xiaoli, head of Fenghuang county's culture and tourism department, said: "The foreign tourist's selfless act is a heroic deed. Such brave and kind behavior is truly admirable."

As a popular tourist destination, Fenghuang sees an increasing number of foreign tourists. Data from local culture and tourism authorities showed that from January to June, Fenghuang received over 10 million tourist visits, generating tourism revenue of over 10 billion yuan ($1.39 billion). Visits to the county by international tourists reached 105,900, representing a year-on-year growth of 48 percent.