13-Year-Old "Little Hero" In China Rescues 4-Year-Old Boy From Frozen Lake

A 13-year-old girl in China is being praised as a "little hero" after she bravely tried to save a four-year-old boy who fell into a frozen lake. The incident took place on December 6 at a park in Tongxin county, located in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region of northwestern China. Her quick decision and courage touched many people and later drew wide attention on social media, reported the South China Morning Post.

According to reports, a four-year-old boy playing on a frozen lake in a park suddenly slipped through a hole in the ice and began drowning in the cold water. His mother, terrified, stood by the lake, waiting for rescuers to arrive.

Meanwhile, a teenage girl approached the child's mother and suggested she could help, as she was light. She decided to try to save the child before professional assistance arrived.

Bystanders at the scene provided the girl with a pipe for support, which she used to crawl forward on the ice. However, as she tried to reach the child, a section of ice broke, and she too fell into the icy lake water. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after and quickly rescued both the girl and the child.

The temperature had reached minus five degrees Celsius at the time. Firefighters covered the girl with a blanket to protect her from the cold.

After her rescue, the girl quietly left the scene without revealing her name or any personal information. A photo taken by a passerby quickly went viral on mainland Chinese social media. Many social media users sought to identify her and praised her as a "little hero." The child's parents also expressed their desire to find her and express their gratitude for her courageous act.

The girl was later identified as Li Jiating, a student at Tongxin County No. 2 Middle School. Her father reported that when she returned home that day, her clothes were completely soaked and she had sat near the stove to keep warm. When he asked her why, she simply explained that she had been splashed with water from a water sprinkler.

Li Jiating's father said he was relieved by his daughter's safe return, but he remained concerned about her safety. He said that while the thought of the dangerous situation pains him, he is proud of his daughter's courage. He also said that despite the freezing cold and thin ice, she stepped forward without hesitation to save a life.