British diplomat leaps into river to save drowning woman in China

Stephen Ellison hailed a hero as footage of him rescuing student goes viral on social media

A British diplomat has been hailed as a hero after he dived 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, consul general in Chongqing, was walking by a river in a nearby village when the woman, 24, slipped on rocks into the deep water.