Heroic woman in china saves 4-year-old girl who fell 20 storeys from hunan building
A four-year-old girl in Hunan, China, miraculously survived a 20-storey fall after a quick-thinking neighbour on the 14th floor caught her and held on until rescuers arrived.
- A 4-year-old girl in Hunan, China, survived a 20-storey fall after landing on a 13th-floor awning.
- Neighbour Wu Yumei, from the 14th floor, caught and held the child until firefighters arrived.
- The girl escaped without injuries, and the rescue has since gone viral, with Wu praised as a hero online.
LENGSHUIJIANG, HUNAN — A four-year-old girl in Hunan province miraculously survived a 20-storey fall after a courageous neighbour on the 14th floor caught her and held on until rescuers arrived.
The incident occurred on 16 September in Lengshuijiang, Loudi city.
According to local reports, the child had climbed out of an anti-theft window on the 20th floor before losing her balance and plunging down the building’s exterior.
She eventually landed on a narrow awning on the 13th floor, where she clung for her life.
Quick-thinking mother becomes real-life hero
Wu Yumei, a mother of two living on the 14th floor, was preparing dinner when she heard a loud crash outside. Peering out the window, she saw the terrified girl hanging from the awning below.
Without hesitation, Wu leaned out of her window, grabbed the girl’s hands, and held on tightly — speaking softly to calm her.
“Don’t be afraid, the police and firefighters will be here soon,” Wu reportedly told the child.
She instructed her 16-year-old son to call emergency services while alerting neighbours through a group chat. Several residents, including Zeng Jun and Ju Bo, rushed to assist.
Rescue operation and aftermath
Firefighters arrived within minutes and broke through a hallway window to secure ropes. They successfully pulled the child to safety from the 13th-floor ledge.
Wu suffered hand injuries during the rescue but said she was simply relieved the girl was unharmed.
“I was afraid my hands would get sweaty and I might lose my grip,” she told Hunan Daily Press Group. “When she was finally safe, my legs went weak, but I was overjoyed.”
The child’s parents later thanked Wu personally and treated her to two meals, telling her she had “given their daughter a second life.”
Online praise for “the child’s second parent”
The story quickly went viral across Chinese social media platforms, where users flooded comment sections with admiration for Wu’s bravery.
One commenter wrote, “She’s basically the child’s second parent — truly incredible.” Another added, “Her courage and compassion saved a life. She deserves national recognition.”
