It was a cold December afternoon by the lake.
A four‑year‑old boy was running around on the frozen surface, fascinated by the ice.
He laughed and played, drifting farther and farther from the shore without realizing the danger.
Then—suddenly—the ice gave way.
Freezing water surged up to his chest.
His terrified cries echoed across the lake, drawing the attention of people nearby.
Panic spread. Afraid the ice might collapse again, no one dared to step forward. Someone dialed for help.
Just then, a young girl rode past on her bicycle.
She stopped, looked at the scene, and thought: I’m light enough… maybe I can reach him.
She grabbed a pipe the adults had prepared and crawled carefully across the ice.
Bit by bit, she edged closer to the boy.
She spoke softly to calm him, urging him to hold on tight.
Then she pulled with all her strength.
But the ice cracked again.
She plunged into the lake herself.
The icy water made her shiver uncontrollably, yet she refused to let go of the pipe.
Onshore, adults rushed to pull her back.
At that moment, firefighters arrived.
They quickly assessed the situation, chose a safer section of ice,
and crawled forward to minimize the risk of breaking through.
Finally, they reached the boy and lifted him out.
He was safe.
The girl—her name is Li Jiating—didn’t wait for praise.
She didn’t give interviews.
She simply got back on her bike and rode away.
When she returned home, her father asked,
“Why are your clothes wet?”
She answered lightly,
“A sprinkler truck splashed me on the road.”
Later that night, around eleven, her aunt saw the rescue video online—
and realized it was her niece.
People called her a hero.
Others said she was an angel.
But to Li Jiating, it was just something she felt she had to do.
This story took place in Ningxia, China. Let’s shout out to Li Jiating for her bravery.