MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A Southern California father is being called a hero after jumping into the Merced River in Yosemite National Park to rescue a man who was drowning.
The father, who was visiting the park with his sons, told FOX26 he was simply in the right place at the right time.
“We took my boys on a little hike, and then we decided to cool off in the river,” he said.
While spending time near the water, he heard someone calling for help.
“As we were doing that, I heard somebody in the distance yelling, screaming, ‘Please, please, please!'” he recalled.
He said he quickly realized someone was struggling in the river.
“And that’s when I realized it’s somebody drowning and somebody’s under the water,” he said. “I don’t even remember making the decision to jump in. It was like the next thing I knew, I was swimming.”
The father swam toward the man, identified as Ze Seng, a Chinese visitor who was traveling in the United States and visiting Yosemite.
After pulling Seng from the water, he performed CPR while waiting for help to arrive.
At one point, he feared Seng might not survive.
“At this point, I was actually worried. I didn’t know if he was even alive anymore, to be honest,” he said.
He said seeing his children watching the rescue gave him the strength to keep going.
“I think it was the idea that my kids were watching it that gave me sort of that strength to keep kicking and keep going,” he said. “So eventually, I made it back to shore.”
Seng says he feels incredibly fortunate to have survived.
“I’m so lucky,” he said.
The father says he does not consider himself a hero, but hopes his actions remind others to pay attention and help when someone is in danger.
For Seng, the quick actions of a stranger turned a terrifying moment into a second chance at life.