ZHENGZHOU - Friends and neighbors paid tribute to a heroic granny who died saving three children from drowning.

Photo of Chai Xiaonu, who died saving three children from drowning. [Photo/China Daily]

Chai Xiaonu, 69, who died on Aug 12 along with another young girl, dived into the Tuanhe River twice to haul out three youngsters but drowned as she attempted to rescue a fourth child.

"If she hadn't been there, we would definitely be gone," said 12-year-old Pang Zhanying, one of the children saved.

The tragedy happened after Pang slipped and fell into a deep area of water. She was with four friends, who attempted to pull her to shore only to be dragged in with her.

Chai's 12-year-old grandson, Cheng Haojie, who was with her at the time, said Chai ran over after hearing the cries and jumped into the water. She helped Pang to the river's shallows, where Cheng pulled her to safety.

"After grandma rescued one of Pang's friends from the deep water, she yelled at me, 'It's dangerous. Go back to get help'," Cheng said.

About 10 minutes later, Chai saved two more children by pulling them to the shallows, but Pang said Chai looked exhausted and was coughing hard and vomiting water.

"I reached out and tried to pull her up, but she insisted my friend Yan Yuanyuan was still underwater," Pang said. "When I cried and asked 'Can you do it?' she briefly looked back and then dived in."

Cheng said he rushed to get help from their nearby village when his grandma failed to resurface. Several neighbors arrived, including Lu Peixing, who eventually pulled out Chai's body, followed by Yan Yuanyuan's 40 minutes later.

"My mother was in such a hurry to help that she still had her cell phone and the money in her bag when she jumped in," said Chai's daughter, Cheng Xiuli.

Chai's funeral last week was attended by hundreds of her neighbors in Hongyan village, Henan province. Many still cannot talk about her without bursting into tears.

"She was such a good person," said Wang Fujiao, 42. "Many people wouldn't dare to do such a thing, but she was so brave despite her age."

Speaking on Sunday, Li Xinyan, the village head, said Chai, whose husband died of cancer in 2000, lived a frugal life and was always ready to help others.

"Whenever there was a funeral or wedding to be planned, people would go to her for help," he said, adding that for decades she had been cutting elderly people's hair for free.

Chai has been dubbed the "most beautiful" grandma, a label Chinese netizens often use for people who perform heroic acts. However, Chai's death has also prompted warnings from safety officials that rescuers might put their own lives at risk if they rush to help without proper training.

Rescue expert Wang Baoyuan said he was touched when he saw a news report about Chai's heroics. Yet, he urged potential rescuers to think of their own well-being before rushing to help.

"The idea is not to suffer a double loss," said Wang, who leads the Water Rescue Team in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan, and has six years' experience.

Rescuing someone from the bank using handy tools, such as life belts, ropes, branches, planks or poles, is the best option if possible, he said.

"If you do have to get into the water, you should follow the right steps, such as reaching the panicking victim from behind in case he or she grabs you and obstructs your movements," he said.