Residents in east China's Hangzhou praised on Friday the bravery of a foreign woman who jumped into the city's West Lake and saved a suicidal woman on Thursday afternoon.

Photographs by tourist Wang Ronggui show the foreign rescuer save a woman who jumped into Hangzhou's West Lake on Thursday. [Photo: Shanghai Daily]

Local media said the rescuer is an American in her 30s who was sightseeing in the area when the drama occurred.

Afterwards, she didn't leave her name or contact information, Hangzhou police said.

A middle-aged woman jumped from the lakeside Wenshui Pavilion at about 4:40pm, said witness Liu Yong, a security guard at a dining and shopping complex near the pavilion.

Liu said he was preparing to go to the woman's aid, but before he had taken off his uniform, the foreign tourist had already dived into the water.

"When she jumped into the lake, the drowning woman was about 20 meters away from the pavilion and was sinking. I could only see her hair," Liu said.

"But the foreign lady swam quickly to her, held up her chin with one hand and used the other to swim back."

"She was so professional and agile. It took her less than two minutes to swim back to the bank," he said.

Liu and another foreigner, a friend of the rescuer, pulled them from the water.

The rescued woman was coughing a lot, but otherwise seemed in good condition, said witnesses.

"The foreign lady dried herself with some tissues, put on her clothes and, after seeing the rescued woman was alright, left along with her friend," Liu recalled.

The rescued woman, surnamed Xia, was taken to a police station.

It was reported that she is from Fuyang, a satellite city of Hangzhou, and had wanted to commit suicide due to problems in her life. She was later taken home by relatives.