Suicidal woman saved by her weight during drowning attempt

The woman floated easily in the river, enabling her rescue. Photo: Handout.

BEIJING: An overweight woman in Southern China was unable to drown herself because her weight prevented her from sinking until she was rescued, a local newspaper reported.

The unidentified woman was attempting to end her life by jumping into a river in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, on Friday, according a report in the Nanfang Daily.

Rescuers arrived at the scene after receiving emergency calls from fisherman nearby, and saw the woman floating in the water of a busy waterway frequented by ships and large barges.

The woman is carried ashore. She was conscious throughout was taken to hospital for observation. Photo: Handout.

 

The rescuers tried to drag her closer to the rescue boat using a lifesaving waist belt, but struggled to put on the belt due to the woman’s size.

But her weight also proved to be a blessing because it gave her extra buoyancy in the water that made it easier for the rescuers to locate her.

She was conscious when she was rescued and was sent to hospital for observation.

The report quoted a man who claimed to be a friend of the woman as saying that she was from Sichuan, but he had no idea about the reasons behind her suicide attempt. – South China Morning Post