Volunteers guard perilous rivers

Wuhan group seeks to prevent drownings in city's tributaries

Two tributaries of the Yangtze and Han rivers divide Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, into four parts, forming riverbanks that stretch for 350 kilometers. Strong currents sweep through the waters at a top speed of 22 km per hour, especially in the summer and fall flood seasons. Almost every year, drownings are reported, with the death toll ranging from dozens to hundreds.

Since 2009, volunteers from all walks of life, including government staff, bank clerks, teachers, public officials, taxi drivers and entrepreneurs, have joined together to rescue others from the troubled waters.