No. My father took me to public pools and paid each time to teach me to swim from a young age. If he was busy, my grandfather would teach that day. They set 3 tiers of goals per lesson for movement and breath control and for each tier I completed, I got an upgrade to my dinner that night! Nothing was convenient or cheap but my father and grandfather pulled out all the stops to teach me. Even my uncles did this for their daughters. In my family, we say that all men must swim and we must know how to swim while saving someone if they are drowning.
And you expect most rural workers or farmers have time and money to teach their children how to swim. Even if someone knows how to swim, it doesn't mean he/she is a good swimmer.
Someone is intentionally hyped up this incident and you fall for it. Anyway it is a good deed no matter what.
Seven members of Chinese family dead after attempt to save drowning girl
Chinese mother covered up that hero died saving her two children from drowning