Netizens call for visit to police hero

Netizens called for Wenzhou’s environmental protection bureau chief to visit Zhang Guangcong, a 51-year-old policeman, who was hospitalized with pneumonia after saving a teenager’s life from a filthy river.

According to Zhejiang’s local newspaper Metro Express, Zhang was sent to hospital on May 18, two days after he saved a 14-year-old girl who tired to commit suicide by jumping into the heavily polluted river in Wenzhou’s Jinxiang town.

Zhang was quoted by the newspaper as saying he couldn’t open his eyes under the water because it was so dirty.

“I could only depend on my instincts to reach the girl,” said Zhang.

Zhang saved the girl but as soon as he emerged his eyes started to sting and he was sent to hospital.

Doctors from No 3 People’s Hospital of Cangnan county said contaminated water entered Zhang’s lungs and caused pneumonia.

Su Zhongjie, the environmental protection bureau chief of Wenzhou’s Cangnan county, said the polluted water in the area is now under treatment.

In February, a Zhejiang entrepreneur offered 200,000 yuan ($32,000) to any local environmental protection official willing to swim in the water for more than 20 minutes. Jin Zengmin, the businessperson, also posted pictures of the heavily polluted river online.

A few days later, another netizen offered 300,000 yuan inviting the director of the environmental protection bureau of Cangnan county to swim for 30 minutes in a river covered with oil and rubbish. Both rivers are both under the administration of Wenzhou.