The drowning woman is successfully rescued in Ezhou. Photo: Screenshot from media report

A 60-year-old woman accidentally fell into the Yangtze River and drifted for five hours over nearly 100 kilometers in the river. Fortunately, she was spotted by a passing vessel, which promptly alerted authorities, and she was successfully rescued in a neighboring city.

The incident occurred at a park in Hankou, Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, and subsequently drifted for five hours over some 100 kilometers in the Yangtze River, Guangming Daily reported.

During the five-hour ordeal, the woman repeatedly choked on water due to exhaustion as she struggled to stay afloat.

Fortunately, crew members aboard a passing vessel spotted her and immediately reported the situation to authorities, the report said.

After receiving the emergency call, law enforcement officers from Ezhou, a neighboring city of Wuhan, launched a marine patrol vessel to begin rescue operations. With remote assistance from the command center's CCTV office, they quickly located the woman. 

By the time she was found, she was visibly exhausted, drifting with the waves, and in imminent danger of sinking, according to the report.

The officers quickly adjusted the vessel's position, threw out a lifebuoy, leaned over the side, and pulled the woman aboard, the report said.

They immediately used towels to dry her off, wrapped her in thermal blankets to keep her warm, and contacted an ambulance.

The rescued woman is now out of danger after receiving medical treatment, the newspaper reported.


Global Times