Chinese volunteer patrol officers saved a foreigner who was in danger of drowning due to exhaustion while swimming in Wuhan, Hubei province, recently.

At around 6:40 pm on Monday, Lu Xingxiang and Cai Guobin were on duty near Lingbo Gate, a scenic area located in Wuchang district which consists of winding trestle bridges stretching into the East Lake, when they spotted a man struggling in the water about 10 meters away from the bridge.

Recognizing that he was suffering from physical exhaustion, they immediately threw a life buoy toward him. The man grabbed the buoy and swam slowly toward the bridge.

Li Lu, another volunteer patroller on duty nearby, rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, and was on standby to jump into the water for rescue if necessary. The officers monitored the swimmer's progress and determined he could return steadily with assistance. Rather than a water rescue, they extended a rescue pole about 6 meters long to pull him safely back to the trestle bridge.

After a short rest and getting dressed, the man shook hands and took photos with the volunteer officers with gratitude before leaving the scene with his companions.