Chinese men watch friend drown, take body home, place on bed instead of calling police
Lawyer says while Chinese laws do not impose legal obligation to rescue, men still face liability for compensatory damages to family
Two men from a village in southwestern China witnessed their friend drown in a reservoir, and rather than alerting the authorities, they took him home, placing him in his bed as if he were merely asleep.
The sister of the deceased recently recounted to the Chinese media outlet Lizhi News the distressing sequence of events that unfolded after her brother’s accidental drowning. The revelation has shocked the online community.
The incident occurred on September 4 in Sichuan province, where the 38-year-old man was invited by a villager and his uncle to swim in a nearby reservoir.
According to reports, the man – whose name has not been disclosed – entered the water and drowned before the two others decided to follow him in.
Although the two claimed they attempted to rescue him, he had already died by the time they brought him back to shore. One of the individuals, known as Tao, confessed that they panicked and, instead of calling for medical assistance or the police, chose to transport the body home on a motorcycle.
Surveillance footage captured along their route showed the two men riding the bike with the deceased wedged between them. The man at the back held the deceased’s neck, attempting to prop him upright during the journey.