A heroic act in Hunan, China, turned controversial when a man who helped save a woman’s life using CPR was accused by some online users of groping her during the procedure.
The incident happened on July 12 in Hengyang city, when a woman suddenly collapsed on the street. A female doctor nearby immediately began performing CPR. However, when she became exhausted, she called for assistance. That’s when Pan, a 42-year-old university medical school teacher passing by on his bicycle, stepped in to help. Trained in clinical medicine and CPR, Pan took turns with the doctor administering chest compressions.
Thanks to their efforts, the woman regained weak vital signs within 10 minutes and was rushed to the hospital.
Despite this, a video of the rescue sparked online backlash, with a few viewers criticizing Pan’s hand placement during CPR, accusing him of inappropriate behavior. “He is obviously groping her chest,” claimed one user, while others questioned if a woman should have handled the resuscitation or suggested pressing her belly instead—comments that drew widespread disbelief from the medical community and netizens alike.
Deeply hurt, Pan responded: “I feel frightened. If I had known I’d be scolded for helping, I wouldn’t have stepped in. I’m so disappointed.” He added that he carefully performed CPR as trained, keeping his hands on the sternum, and no medical professionals had raised any concerns.
Witnesses at the scene backed Pan. One man, surnamed Deng, said, “The woman was unconscious. No one cared about gender. He helped save her life.”
While the online criticism rattled Pan, an even larger wave of support emerged, praising his life-saving actions and condemning the baseless accusations. As one user wrote: “In emergencies, saving a life should always come first. That’s what humanity is about.”
