China groom, 29, jumps off bridge into river on wedding day, found dead 6 days later

A 29-year-old groom in Shaanxi, China, died after jumping into a river from a bridge on his wedding day, Oct. 3.

His body was found six days later by local authorities.

Just before the incident, the man apparently had an argument with his bride over a wedding-related matter at the hotel where the wedding was to be held, Chinese media reported.

The incident

Xunyang city authorities identified the deceased as Zhou, a 29-year-old man from a town in Xunyang, which is located in the province of Shaanxi.

Authorities said that based on preliminary investigations, Zhou "lost control of his emotions" on Oct. 3 over a "trivial matter related to his wedding", Global Times reported.

Subsequently, at around 10am, Zhou ran from the hotel to the Xunhe bridge before jumping into the water, the statement read.

A search and rescue operation was subsequently launched for the missing man.

On Oct. 9, Zhou's body was found a hundred metres downstream from the bridge, China Newsweek reported.

Sources told China Newsweek that before the incident, Zhou's bridal car had arrived at the hotel, and Zhou and the bride, Li, were heard arguing inside.

Zhou's last words reportedly were (translated from Mandarin), "I have never been mistreated like this before. I'm calling off the wedding."

A meeting between Zhou's family and Li's family, arranged by authorities, turned acrimonious after both sides blamed each other for the incident, Jiupai News reported.

Zhou's family is currently seeking dashcam footage of the events leading up to the incident.

Couple had been engaged for two years

Zhou's father said that Zhou is the eldest son and has one younger sister, Jimu News reported, citing Chinese media.

Zhou and Li were high school classmates who hailed from different towns in Xunyang.

Zhou's father said the couple had been in a relationship for four years and got engaged two years ago.

The couple reportedly had disagreements over the years on getting a marriage certificate, and had yet to obtain one before the wedding on Oct. 3, according to Jimu News and Jiupai News.

Xunyang authorities said they are conducting follow-up investigations and supporting the family.

Helplines

If you or someone you know is in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

National mindline 1771: 1771

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

SHECARES@SCWO: Call: 8001 01 4616 | WhatsApp: 6571 4400 (for targets of online harms)

Top image from China Newsweek/Weibo