The tourist who survived a fall into the choppy waters of the Pearl River has spoken of his anguish for the first time, as new images of the incident showing the heroic actions of the fallen police officer who jumped in to save him was broadcast on Zhejiang Satellite TV.

From his hospital bed, the man, surnamed Chen, tells the reporter it was his own fault for the death of the officer. He breaks down as he struggles to compose himself.

Chen says: “The people missing have still not been found. I would hope that it was me who have died rather than those good people.”

As Beijing Cream says, it’s hard not to feel emotional.

At the time, the body’s whereabouts was unknown, but as The Nanfang reported yesterday, the body was found two nights ago.

The dramatic footage shows the police officer Zheng Yilong, dubbed the modern day Lei Feng, running into the camera frame, taking off his jacket and jumping into the choppy waters, as bystanders look on helplessly on a wet and windy day in Guangzhou.

Here is the video of the incident:

Video credit: Beijing Cream

Jean-Charles Tan contributed to this story.