A man in East China's Jiangsu Province who recently tried to swim across the Yangtze River to Shanghai to save travel costs is rescued by police. Photo: Screenshot from Jiangsu TV

A man in East China's Jiangsu Province who recently tried to swim across the Yangtze River to Shanghai to save travel costs was rescued by police after drifting for nearly two hours in the busy shipping channel, exhausted and stricken with leg cramps, Jiangsu TV reported.

Police received a report around noon on August 4 that a man was swimming near a park, where heavy vessel traffic made the situation particularly dangerous. After a coordinated search by land and water, officers located the man, according to multiple media reports.

However, the man initially refused to board the police boat. Officers then learned that he intended to swim across the Yangtze River to Shanghai to avoid paying for transportation, according to Jiangsu TV.

The section of the Yangtze in Nantong is wide and has strong currents, while the main shipping channel is busy with passing vessels. The attempt posed serious risks not only to the man himself but also to the safety of vessels navigating the river, policemen said, per media reports.

After nearly 30 minutes of persuasion, the man finally abandoned his plan and boarded the police boat. He had by then spent about two hours in the water and was exhausted, suffering from severe leg cramps. Police officers provided him with food and water and took him to a police station to rest.

The police later identified the man as a native of Linyi, East China's Shandong Province, and found that he had a mental health condition. They contacted his family and the Nantong rescue center and arranged for him to undergo a psychiatric assessment.

His family subsequently took him back to Shandong and thanked the officers for rescuing him. 

Global Times