Khaberni - A rural village in southwest China witnessed a perplexing incident after an unexpected act by two young men towards their friend who lost his life by drowning right before their eyes in a local water reservoir.
The story began when a young man from the village and his uncle invited their 38-year-old friend to swim in a water reservoir in Sichuan province.
The man entered the water before the two followed, but he drowned within minutes, while the two young men later confirmed that they tried to pull him out, but he had already passed away by the time they reached the shore.
The young men made a decision that puzzled the public by transporting their friend's body back home on a motorcycle instead of notifying the police or emergency services.
Surveillance cameras captured their journey as they placed the body between them, with one of them trying to support his neck to make it look like he was sitting up.
The young men returned the body to the victim’s home and placed it on his bed as if he were sleeping, then left without informing his family. The family only discovered the truth about the death three days later, by which time the reservoir’s camera footage had been automatically deleted.
Authorities ruled out criminal suspicion, however, a specialized lawyer explained that while Chinese law does not require individuals to rescue someone drowning, it does allow the family to claim civil compensation, according to the "SCMP" newspaper.
One of the young men reported that they had offered to pay 80,000 yuan to cover burial costs, with the family having the right to demand additional compensation.
