Elderly Man Saves Boy from Drowning After Rescuing That Boy's Father 30 Years Ago
Ever experienced a strange coincidence that left you scratching your head? These odd little flukes of fate often prompt us to laugh, shrug and/or ponder the numerous mysteries of the universe.
According to an article that originally appeared in The Atlantic, David Spiegelhalter has actually studied this phenomenon in some detail. He’s a researcher at the University of Cambridge.
Spiegelhalter worked with subjects to figure out which coincidences tend to be most common. What wound up topping the list?
Sharing a birthday, for starters. Also meeting people in transit — on a train, in airports or strolling around outside.
But here’s a real whopper that probably takes the cake. It involves an 80-year-old man and a little boy who nearly lost his life.
The elderly gentleman lives in the Jiangsu province of China. His surname is Xu, and he leads a quiet daily existence with his wife.
The couple lives right near a river. In fact, Jiangsu Television reports that several times over the years, they’ve actually played the part of good Samaritans.
That’s because periodically, a swimmer or local resident enters the water and begins to struggle. The most recent close call involved an eight-year-old boy who had been playing near the river with his grandmother.
According to Jiangsu Television, Xu and his wife heard frantic screams for help one August morning. They looked outside and spied the little boy splashing around in utter panic.
Xu himself had sustained some personal injuries after falling down the stairs roughly two years ago. But he never even hesitated for a moment.
With the help of his wife, Xu paddled out toward the youngster. Apparently, the little guy had slipped and fallen in.
The child wound up being absolutely fine, thanks to Xu’s quick thinking. But at the hospital, it was later discovered that Xu’s heroism had technically made this boy’s entire life possible.
It turns out that 30 years ago, the youth’s father had taken a tumble into that very same river. He’d begun to struggle, and Xu had jumped in to rescue him.
“Now that I’m old,” Xu told Jiangsu Television rather ruefully, “I can’t jump anymore.”
But he can certainly be celebrated for his long-standing bravery. Media outlets around the world have subsequently picked up the story, leading to a standing ovation across social media.
Coincidences are funny things, after all. Sometimes, you’re simply in the right place, at the right time for a reason.
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