Four police officers in East China are currently in hot water after a 17-year-old female jumped into a river and drowned in their sight, despite trying their best to dissuade her, which triggered public discussion about the role of the police in the case.
It has now been revealed that the police officers reportedly could not swim, causing controversy to erupt and there were many online comments accusing the police of inaction and neglect.
The police replied in a media briefing on Saturday that their police officers did not leave the girl to die. The police officers cannot swim but they still tried their best to save the girl.Â
In a video clip posted online, the police are seen standing on the shore, while the girl suddenly jumps into the deep water.
Some netizens said that the police were unprofessional and the worst part was that they did not even bring any life-saving equipment and didn’t do enough to save her.Â
The topic garnered more than 200 million views on Sina Weibo as of press time. Â
“None of the four police officers know how to swim. A SWAT police officer was also present. Although he could not swim he dived into the water,” the local police authority said.
Online videos showed police officers were hand in hand trying to save the girl but they pulled back as water reached their waists.Â
It also said that when the facts are unclear, passing judgment without the facts will only harm rescuers.