Mystery Surrounds Teen Drowning in Chengdu

Authorities are investigating whether a 16-year-old boy who drowned in a Chengdu, Sichuan Province river knew he was attempting to save a dog or its owner misled him to believe it was a woman. According to media reports, two women were walking a dog along the river on June 20 when it suddenly fell in. The women ran to a nearby basketball court for help, where they pleaded with two teens to save their meimei (which means “little sister”). Witnesses said one teen jumped into the deep river, struggled to swim and disappeared. It was not reported what happened to the dog. Many on social media blamed the two women for misleading the teen, but a sanitation worker who witnessed the incident claimed the women had told him it was a dog. Some speculated that meimei was the dog’s name. Authorities are investigating.