On October 14 in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, a black Audi sedan plunged into a river after swerving to avoid an elderly woman who ran a red light while riding an electric bike. The car quickly sank, leaving only its roof visible above the water, and the driver was trapped inside as the situation grew dire.

At that critical moment, 40-year-old Di Shuangcheng, a crane operator and former soldier, happened to be driving by with his wife and 2-year-old son. Without hesitation, he stopped the car, told his family to stay safely on the roadside, and jumped into the river to rescue the trapped driver.

Though not a strong swimmer, Di grabbed a rock from the bank and swam to the car’s roof. After striking the sunroof four or five times, he managed to break it open and pull the driver out. A police officer also jumped into the water to help, and together they brought the driver safely to shore.

The rescued driver was conscious and largely unharmed and was taken to hospital for further observation.