After a month of heavy rain in Dengzhou, Henan, the local river had swollen into a rushing, dangerous current. While night fishing with a friend, the author suddenly spotted a young girl struggling in the middle of the water. They immediately called for help and, using their fishing rods and hooks, managed to cast lines toward her, carefully pulling her back to the safety of the bank.

After getting her ashore, the rescuers quickly learned that three more family members—her grandparents and two-year-old brother—were also in the water. While directing the girl to a safe spot, the two men rushed back to the riverbank, scanning the dark water with flashlights and shouting for the others. Police arrived soon after, and the rescuers emphasized the girl’s serious leg injury, ensuring she received urgent medical care.

It was later confirmed that the rest of the family had managed to climb out on their own further downstream—everyone made it out safely. What began as a quiet night of fishing turned into a moment of quick thinking and teamwork under pressure.

This footage was filmed in Nanyang, Henan, at 19:45, on October 13, 2025.