The story of Zhou Hongbo, a young man in Beijing who sacrificed his life to save drowning children, has moved many people. His brave deeds were later recognized by the local government, Beijing Daily and Beijing Youth Daily reported.

The incident occurred by the Yongding River in the city's Shijingshan district at around 2 pm on Sunday. Zhou and his wife were taking their 1-year-old son for a walk nearby when he heard cries for help and found two boys and a girl struggling in the water. Although his wife tried to stop him for fear of his safety, Zhou didn't think twice and jumped into the river.

While Zhou was sprinting towards the children, other people also became aware of the danger and followed him.

After reaching the girl, Zhou pushed her to the shallow waters and turned back to the boys. Thanks to his efforts and those of the other bystanders, all three children were rescued. But Zhou never came back.

"I didn't know if he was exhausted or something went wrong. I just had a bad feeling and called out for help," Zhou's wife said, choking back tears. "I helplessly watched him sink in the water."

Police officers and rescue teams soon arrived. Unfortunately, Zhou was found dead in the water at 5:30 pm.

"I saw him lift the drowning child over his shoulders while he was sinking in the water," one witness said. "He is a hero."