British diplomat jumps into river to save drowning woman in China...

A British diplomat has been hailed as a hero after he dives into a river to save a drowning Chinese woman in a rescue that was filmed and then went viral on social media in China and the UK. The incident happened on Saturday.Stephen Ellison, 61, a consul general in Chongqing, was walking by a river in a nearby village when the 24-year-old slipped over rocks in the deep water.

Pictures from spectators showed her struggling in the current, disappearing under a catwalk and emerging face down, seemingly unconscious.

Ellison took off her shoes and dived to save her. She was not named, but was a student.

Critics on social media have asked why so many Chinese seem to watch her drown by the riverside instead of intervening to save her life, but some said very few Chinese can swim and some do there was a fear of becoming involved in a public incident.

Images of Ellison’s rescue mission were shared on the UK’s Twitter channel in China and generated thousands of views. Ellison is shown removing her shoes revealing alarming striped socks, diving into the river from the fully clothed side, capturing the woman, then having a large red life belt thrown at her which he uses to aid her in the hang out safely by the river.

United Kingdom in China ????????
(@ukinchina)

We are all extremely proud of our Consul General in Chongqing, Stephen Ellison, who dived in a river on Saturday to rescue a drowning student and swim her to safety. pic.twitter.com/OOgXqsK5oe

We are all immensely proud of our Chongqing Consul General, Stephen Ellison, who dived into a river on Saturday to rescue a drowning student and swim her to safety. pic.twitter.com/OOgXqsK5oe

— UK in China 🇬🇧 (@ukinchina) November 16, 2020

We are all immensely proud of our Chongqing Consul General, Stephen Ellison, who dived into a river on Saturday to rescue a drowning student and swim her to safety. pic.twitter.com/OOgXqsK5oe

— UK in China 🇬🇧 (@ukinchina) November 16, 2020

“We are all extremely proud,” the British diplomatic mission to China tweeted on Monday. The diplomat himself said the student, who is from Wuhan and attends Chongqing University, was shaken by the experience and made a slow recovery.

But she was extremely grateful and invited him to dinner with his family next weekend.

The hashtag “British consul general in Chongqing saves fallen student” had received nearly 40 acknowledgments on Weibo as of Monday evening as word of Ellison’s bravery spread.

“For a man of such old age, saving another person from the water in such cold weather, regardless of his own safety, is a hero and a gentleman! read a comment, liked almost 2,000 times.

“Regardless of our differences… acting heroically is a virtue and should be commended,” wrote another.

Relations between the UK and China are at their lowest since China ended political independence from Hong Kong and Chinese telecommunications company Huawei was banned from providing 5G networks to the UK in on the grounds that it could constitute a security threat.