On November 22nd, in Shantou, Guangdong Province, a man was seen sitting on the railing of the Nanao Bridge with three young children, intending to jump into the sea to commit suicide. Eventually, the man put down the three children and jumped off the bridge himself, but fortunately, he was rescued.
The viral video circulating online showed a man sitting on the railing of the Nanao Bridge in Shantou with three children, contemplating jumping into the sea. A sedan was parked on the bridge, with several police officers trying to persuade the man on the railing. Eventually, the man placed the children on the bridge and jumped off, only to be rescued by emergency responders.
At 11:41 pm on the 22nd, the Nanao Bridge Construction Management Center in Shantou posted a notification on their official WeChat account, stating that around 4:50 pm that day, a man from another province was on the bridge with his children, contemplating jumping into the sea. After persuasion, the children were safely removed, and the man jumped off the bridge but was rescued by emergency responders. After being examined at the hospital, the man was found to be out of danger.
In online chat messages, netizens mentioned that the man and his wife were traveling to Shantou with their children, but got into an argument. The wife left in a car, leaving the man feeling desperate and taking the children to jump into the sea out of fear that no one would take care of them.
Some netizens believe that marital disputes may be related to excessive life pressures. As China’s economy rapidly deteriorates, many people face unemployment and significant debts like mortgages and car loans, leading to feelings of despair and a rise in incidents of people jumping off bridges or buildings. There have been prior cases of individuals committing suicide with young children.
On December 12, 2023, in Shaowu City, Nanping, Fujian Province, a man holding his 5-year-old daughter stood on the edge of a bridge, planning to jump into the river. He eventually uttered, “I’m too tired, can’t go on,” then turned around, placed the child aside, and jumped into the river. However, he was later rescued from the water.
On November 11, 2023, at noon on the Century Bridge in Yixing, Jiangsu Province, a woman threw two children into the river before jumping in herself. Unfortunately, the boy died, while the girl and the mother were rushed to the hospital for treatment.