The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge stands 197 feet above the rushing current of the Yangtze River. Since 1968, the double-decked structure once acted as a symbol of China’s growing industrial strength.

Sadly, the bridge has also been a historically popular site for suicide attempts, many of them successful. Between 1968 and 2006, over 2,000 deaths were recorded. Many of them are impoverished or lost migrant workers who feel that they can never properly succeed or find work in the big city.

In times of great pain and sadness, heroes are more important than ever.

On weekends, 48-year-old Chen Si rides an electric scooter up and down the bridge, scanning for anyone who might be considering or attempting to take their own life. Since 2003, he has saved hundreds of people from killing themselves. Sometimes, it takes a sympathetic ear and compassionate conversation. Still, in many instances, Chen has had to physically restrain and weigh people down to stop them from jumping. In total, he has saved as many as 321 people.

With recent news regarding Logan Paul, I instead want to talk about Chen Si. — Heraa Hashmi (@caveheraa) January 4, 2018

Chen was inspired to do good because of the kindness someone once showed him during his hardships.

Of his past, he says, “I was once one of them. I was helped by a kind-hearted countryman when I faced hardship working as a vegetable seller in Nanjing.” Chen adds “When my life got better, I wanted to help the others find hope.”

Before owning his own business and finding a wife, Chen was a destitute migrant worker from a rural village who felt hopeless. Despite turning his life around, he was saddened to see so many suicides on the bridge week after week, and decided to take action.

Recalling that first day, Chen says, “It was September 19, 2003. I rode past the bridge, then I told my wife I would go up and take a look if anybody would need help.”

He came across a man who wanted to die after being convicted for a crime he did not commit. Chen talked him out of it and worked to help prove the man’s innocence.

Chen also notes, “When I saved him, I did not have experience. But now I could tell whether or not someone is contemplating suicide by looking at their back. Usually their head, shoulders, buttocks and legs are completely still because they only have one thought in their mind: death.”

Chen observed that the suicidal people often suffer from mental illness, emotional trauma, debts, domestic violence or terminal illness. The latter two often have the least hope when it comes to their situation.

After walking the suicidal person off of the bridge, Chen takes them to free counseling services and offers them a small apartment to rest in. He estimates that he spends half of his annual salary on suicide victims and makes sure the rest goes to his wife.

Of his wife, Chen claims: “I can’t say my wife is happy about my volunteer work. Who would want their husband to spend this much money on strangers?”

Luckily, in recent years the family has received an outpouring of donations from the thankful public.

While Chen’s vital and heartwarming work has been known for years–he even had a documentary made of him called The Angel of Nanjing, he recently became a topic of conversation again after a certain YouTuber’s reckless actions in Japan’s suicide forest.

Twitter user Heraa Hashmi wanted to call attention to someone who is making a positive difference.

He's a manager in a transport company. But every weekend, he patrols Nanjing's Yangtze River Bridge, the most frequent suicide site in the world (with more than 2,000 suicides estimated by 2006) looking for those who feel like they have nothing more to look for. — Heraa Hashmi (@caveheraa) January 4, 2018

Every weekend, he travels 15.4 miles to this bridge. Whether on bike or on foot, he paces the bridge, and looks. He looks for those "who look depressed, those whose psychological pressure is great, whose way of walking is very passive with no spirit, or no direction." — Heraa Hashmi (@caveheraa) January 4, 2018

He even offers them a place to stay in his extra bedroom. "With each new life he saves, Chen's burden grows. 'What should I do with the people I save? I don’t have that much money,' he says. 'When I save people, I don’t want to just cheat them into living another day.'" — Heraa Hashmi (@caveheraa) January 4, 2018

He's saved over 300 people since 2003. He doesn't have millions of fans. Or an adoring audience. Or a mansion. But the people he's touched and impacted cannot be assigned an adsense value. — Heraa Hashmi (@caveheraa) January 4, 2018

Via Relevant Magazine and The Daily Mail.