Hero from China: Son is swept away and killed by raging floods after saving his mother

Within 12 hours, rainfall reached 158.5 mm and around 27,000 people in the county were affected, including 4,000 residents who were evacuated, Jimu News reported.

A woman was trapped in a pigsty by the flood while she was feeding the family pigs. When the man surnamed Xiang saw his mother’s plight, he swam to her. He pulled her out and helped her onto the roof of a neighboring house.

As he tried to swim back home, he was swept away by the strong current, his mother said.

The next day, Xiang’s body was found in a river about four kilometers away. He had a 15-year-old daughter.

Xiang’s mother reported that she didn’t notice anything unusual when she went to the pig pen and started feeding the animals. Then she suddenly heard a rumbling sound as the flood came, and the water level rose to her waist in less than a minute.

“My son had planned to swim home diagonally, but he couldn’t because the current was too fast,” she said.

A neighbor who saw his son caught in the water said Xiang was a good and fit swimmer.

“But his swimming speed was not as fast as that of the water. He tried to swim to a house about 50 meters away, but failed and was eventually swept about 100 meters into the river,” the neighbor said.

A village official said the water level was more than two meters high during the heavy rains on June 20. Many houses collapsed due to the mass of water.

Xiang’s story has touched millions of people on social media in mainland China, with many praising his filial piety.

“I have heard many stories of mothers saving their sons. This is the first time I have seen a report of a son saving his mother. Well done. You are definitely a hero and a martyr,” said one online observer on Weibo.

“Mother gave you a life while you sacrificed yours to protect her. You showed what a childlike love is. Rest in peace,” another person wrote.

“His mother will be very upset. As a mother, I would rather my son didn’t swim to save me. I would rather he stayed alive instead of me,” commented another person.