Peng Weiping

Peng Weiping

Peng Weiping (彭伟平) is a 26-year-old farmer from Lingbi County, Anhui Province. On June 5, 2012, Peng, at the time six-and-a-half months pregnant with twins, jumped into a 2-meter deep pond to save a neighbor's toddler from drowning.

When the accident occurred, the village adults were busy harvesting the wheat in the fields and there were only children nearby, playing next to the pond. Having no time to think or call for help, Peng simply took off her shoes, jumped in the pond and saved the 2-year-old girl. Peng was rushed to hospital, initially suffering from abdominal pains. One of the twins died in the ensuing days, but one baby boy was delivered by cesarean in the Anhui Provincial Hospital on July 26.

Peng's rescue, meanwhile, has sparked a widespread debate about whether or not she did the right thing to threaten her own life and that of her unborn babies in order to save that of another child. In early July, she was conferred the title of "Excellent League Member" by the Chinese Communist Youth League.