The story of a woman named Xu Can (living in Yiyang, Hunan province, China) who fell into the same pond twice 25 years apart and was saved by the same person is attracting attention on Chinese social networks.

On July 17, Xu Can was driving home alone. As she approached the pond, she suddenly braked, causing the car to skid and plunge into the water. As the car began to sink and fill with water, Xu tried to open the door and found that the automatic window was not working properly. As the water continued to rise, she managed to stick her head out through the small gap in the window and call for help.

Veteran Tang Keming (71 years old) was cooking nearby when he heard Xu's scream and ran out to see what was happening.

"I saw a dark brown car in the pond, with only the roof sticking out of the water. The driver's neck was stuck in the window and she was screaming for help. Usually, my door is closed when I cook and I don't hear anything. But that day, the window happened to be open," Mr. Tang told Hunan Daily .

Mr. Tang calmly and quickly grabbed a garden hoe from his house and jumped into the pond. “There was no one else around and I didn’t have time to think. I just knew that I had to save her,” he added.

Tang Keming used a pickaxe to smash the car window so Xu could struggle out, but fortunately she was not injured. “I hit the middle of the glass four or five times but it didn’t break. Finally, I hit the edge with all my might and it shattered,” Tang said, adding that he then swam and pulled Xu to shore.

On July 19, the local government honored Mr. Tang with the title of “Brave and Kind Villager.” That day, Xu also visited him to express her gratitude. During the conversation, she suddenly discovered a strange coincidence. About 25 years ago, when she was in her first year of elementary school, Xu fell into this pond and it was Mr. Tang who came to save her.

“I was a naughty kid back then, and after school I fell into the pond. I am very grateful to you for saving me twice,” Xu said. Mr. Tang happily replied, “I don’t think much, saving people is the important thing.”

This touching story spread on social media, making people amazed at the coincidence and fate between the two: “Wow, what a coincidence! It's like a story in a novel. Mr. Tang saved her twice! May good people always be safe!"; "Sometimes you just have to accept the arrangement of fate. The probability of this happening is almost zero, but it happened. Life is full of mysteries"; "Mr. Tang is really her guardian angel! Hope he stays healthy and lives long"...