Hebei driver single-handedly operates excavator to breach dike and avert danger, praised as a lone hero

Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang, August 3 (Reporter Zhu Feng) Rain poured down and water levels surged. At the critical moment when a reservoir could collapse its dam at any time, while other drivers held back, Ren Xiaofei resolutely chose to "go against the flow," driving an excavator onto the dike, digging a trench to release floodwater and eliminate the danger, sparing more than 60 villagers downstream from a devastating disaster.

For days, the deeds of excavator driver Ren Xiaofei have been widely recounted in Xibaipo, Pingshan County, Hebei Province, an old revolutionary base area, and he himself has been praised as a "lone hero" in flood control and emergency rescue.

"On the evening of July 19, the rainstorm never stopped. The water level of a reservoir upstream of Gaijiayu in our town rose rapidly, and the distance to the dam crest was already less than 2 m. A dam breach was possible at any time. The situation was urgent and brooked no delay. Digging a trench to release floodwater was the only option," said Li Guoqiang, mayor of Xibaipo Town, Pingshan County.

After the danger was discovered, the local Party committee and government mobilized urgently. On one hand, they sent staff to knock on doors one by one and persuade residents to evacuate; on the other hand, they sent people to the site to dig a trench and release floodwater.

"When we arrived at the site, everyone gasped. It was too dangerous. At that time, the outer wall of the reservoir dam had already begun to show signs of slipping, and because the dam was in a valley, the mountain body from the slope to the valley was steep and slippery, with no road access, making it very difficult to get machinery to the work site. At the same time, the operation required high technical skill; the opening in the dam could be neither too large nor too small," Li Guoqiang said. Of the several excavator drivers temporarily dispatched, most hesitated.

At that moment, only one driver, Ren Xiaofei, stepped forward: "I'll go!"

Relying on 10 years of driving experience and outstanding courage, Ren Xiaofei carefully drove the excavator to a suitable place on the dike and bit by bit dug open a gap in the ground. After digging a section, he backed up a distance, and once the water flow stabilized, he continued digging.

"The most dangerous time was when I had just dug to widen a trench opening and the surrounding soil collapsed. The excavator tilted diagonally downward along with it. I had even opened the cab and was preparing to jump out. Fortunately, it did not continue collapsing, so I slowly backed out," Ren Xiaofei recalled.

After emergency work through the night, the dike was successfully and safely breached. The water in the reservoir slowly flowed down through the trench opening, and the homes of more than 60 villagers downstream were saved.

The reporter learned in an interview that Ren Xiaofei is a shy young man born in 1984, a Party member, and the father of two children. When the reporter asked whether he was afraid at the time, he said: "I was very nervous inside, but we cannot stand by and watch people die."