Chen Fuchao starts to fall after being pushed by Lai Jiansheng on Thursday off the bridge over the Pearl River. [Liu Ke]

A bridge in Guangzhou that has gained a reputation as a macabre tourist destination after attracting at least 12 would-be suicide jumpers since the start of April was the scene of a bizare incident this week in which a passerby pushed a man who was threatening to jump.

The passerby was agitated by the fact that the would-be jumper had held up traffic around Haizhu Bridge for almost five hours.

None of the 12 who threatened to jump has done so, although each has held up traffic for several hours.

In the latest case, a man named Chen Fuchao threatened to kill himself on Thursday after saying he was in 2 million yuan of debt following a failed construction project.

After being pushed off the bridge, Chen fell 8 m onto a partially-inflated emergency air cushion. The 66-year-old person who pushed him, Lai Jiansheng, had broken through a police cordon and climbed up to where Chen sat.

He greeted him with a handshake before pushing him off the bridge.

Chen damaged his spine and elbow in the fall.

"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish. Their action violates a lot of public interests," Lai said.

"They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."

Lai was taken away by police after the incident. Chen is recovering in hospital, according to Southern Metropolis News.

Police sources said many suicidal people had financial troubles, such as unpaid wages and some suffered from medical conditions and injuries from workplace accidents.

"Traffic across the Haizhu Bridge, which is widely regarded as an important scenic attraction, become worse," said a spokesman with the Guangzhou public security bureau.

He said the situation caused chaos to residents, adding that the city had to send a rescue vessel, an ambulance, several police cars and fire engines each time there was a "jumper".

(China Daily May 23, 2009)