The new British consul general in Chongqing, Stephen Ellison, has been hailed as a hero after the 61-year-old jumped into the water and saved a drowning tourist.

A viral footage shows a young tourist who has slipped into a river while taking photos at the Zhongshan Ancient Town and other passersby shouting for help. A foreigner was seen taking off his shoes, jumping into the water and swimming towards the drowning girl. A lifebuoy was then thrown towards the duo, helping them to get back to the land. The tourist quickly regained consciousness after being rescued.

The British Embassy in Chongqing confirmed on Monday that the man in the footage was Stephen Ellison, their newly appointed consul-general.

The 61-year-old diplomat also thanked local villagers who gave him warm coffee and dry clothes to change into after the incident. He was not worried about diving into the water as his only concern was that he couldn’t save the girl in time, he added.

Ellison has lived and worked in China for nine years and arrived in Chongqing in October. He visited the tourist spot last Saturday, after completing all the procedures and officially becoming the consul general. With over 30 years of civil engineering experience, Ellison has also participated in the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and won a top award at last year’s Beijing International Triathlon.

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