Malta Santana, a 31-year-old Spanish tourist from China, has become an internet sensation after bravely rescued a child on the Tuo River in Hunan province on August 7th.
Former swimming coach Santana was traveling with friends as he saw the boy struggle to swim to the strong current that started to fall into the river and quickly drag him to the river. Without even hesitated to her own safety, she took off her shoes and jumped in to save him, then the child’s grandfather also jumped into the water. Together, they safely brought the boy to the unharmed shore.
The dramatic rescue was filmed on video and shared on Weibo, the equivalent of China’s X, and quickly accumulated 1.8 million views on the first day. The story, trending under the hashtag “Foreign Tourists Bravely Save Children in the Ancient City of Fenggan” became one of the most discussed topics on social media in China that week. Santana’s experience as a swimming coach and lifeguard sparked her instinctive response. “I never thought about it again. I just wanted to get him out of the water,” she said. She also praised her grandfather for his courage in attending the rescue.
Jan Xiaori, a local cultural and tourism official in Fenggan County, thanked Santana for her selfless actions for doing “acts of heroism,” and said her courage and kindness were truly admirable. On her first trip to China, Santana expressed relief that her child is safe and reaffirmed her commitment to helping others in need.
