An inebriated man who drowned after falling into an East China river on Sunday had been trying to see if his Labrador puppy could swim, media reported.

The unnamed maintenance worker was walking his young dog with his girlfriend along a river in the city of Yuhang, Zhejiang Province when he made the fatal decision to test his young pet dog's swimming abilities.

Cradling the pup and wearing slippers, the man stepped out on a gas line that spanned the river.

He had planned to place the dog in the water and scoop him out if it had trouble.

But while precariously perched on the pipe, the man lost his footing and fell in.

Only the Labrador made it ashore.

The victim's coworkers who were at the scene managed to pull his drenched body from the water and bring him to a local hospital.

Doctors pronounced him dead on arrival, media reported.

Though normally a strong swimmer, the man had been drinking around the time of the accident, according to his girlfriend. 

The river is 3 meters at its deepest, according to local residents. 

hangzhou.com.cn