On June 15th, 2025, at a beach in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, a woman was drowning.
Most people would hesitate.
Dr. Zhang Junqiao didn’t.
The 38-year-old Chinese anesthesiologist jumped in without a second thought. He gave the woman his life jacket, pushed her toward the shore, and made sure she was safe.
But Zhang never made it back.
By the time rescuers pulled him from the water, it was too late. A man who had dedicated his life to saving others had given his own in the most literal way.
More than just a doctor
Dr. Zhang wasn’t just a tourist or a foreign visitor.
He was the leader of China’s 27th medical aid team to Tanzania. He had been working in the country for over a year—training local doctors in anesthesiology, supporting hospitals, and providing hands-on treatment where medical resources were thin.
But his work didn’t stop at the hospital door.
Back in China, he had turned his newly renovated living room into a free CPR training center. He often gave public lessons in parks using mannequins he bought with his own salary. He even organized a volunteer program called Heartbeat Action, holding hundreds of free first-aid workshops for the public.
Zhang refused to charge a single cent for these sessions.
As he once said:
“If you charge 10 yuan, it’s no longer public service.”
His coworkers called him a perfectionist. His neighbors called him generous. His friends called him pure-hearted
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