Zhao Jinwen Carried and Hugged 11 Elderly People to Safety in the Flood

In Wulihe Village, Taoquan Township, Ci County, Hebei, which was severely hit by floods, Party branch secretary Zhao Jinwen single-handedly carried and hugged 11 elderly people to safety in the flood not long ago, and is called a lone hero by local people.

On July 19, torrential rain poured down on Taoquan Township. At 11:00, the water rose to waist level.

Zhao Jinwen rushed into the home of Zhao Yuanlin and Zhou Zihua and shouted: "Run, quick, the flood is here!"

"I can't walk. The water is too high. Don't worry about me, you run!" Zhou Zihua said in despair.

"I'll carry you!" Zhao Jinwen lifted Zhou Zihua onto his back and waded through waist-deep floodwater toward higher ground. The water kept rising. Floating shards of glass, gravel and gas canisters swept past Zhao Jinwen. At times he lowered his center of gravity to keep his balance, and at other times he raised it to dodge obstacles. By the time he struggled to reach safety, the shoes on his feet were gone.

Zhao Jinwen then went barefoot to carry Zhao Yuanlin. "On the way he kept telling me to hold on to him, close my eyes, and not be afraid," Zhao Yuanlin said. Just after he carried Zhao Yuanlin to safety, the floodwater in his home had already risen above the windows.

At 15:00, the second flood peak struck. Zhao Jinwen discovered that 80-year-old Zhou Youying had secretly returned home, and the situation was critical! Zhou Youying's house was built against the mountain, and the courtyard and gate area were already flooded half a meter deep. He immediately thought of using a ladder to get in through the roof to rescue her. With the help of villagers, he carried over a 5 m long wooden ladder weighing more than 100 jin and climbed down to Zhou Youying's home.

After finding Zhou Youying, Zhao Jinwen, who is 1.65 m tall and weighs more than 120 jin, carried the elderly person of about 110 jin on his back and climbed onto the roof. Because the street was severely flooded, he had to use the ladder and cross the roofs of several homes as a route to carry the elderly person to safety.

"While climbing the ladder, Jinwen kept patting my shoulder and telling me it was safe up there," Zhou Youying said, trembling. "If not for him, I definitely would not have made it past the hurdle of turning 80."

Zhao Kexing and Chai Yuxiang are an 83-year-old couple. Although village officials had already notified them to evacuate 4 times, they paid no attention. When Zhao Jinwen risked his life to reach their home, the flood was pouring down from the roof like a waterfall, and the two elderly people were already dazed.

Zhao Jinwen picked up Chai Yuxiang and left, using his back as a shield to block the pouring flood as he rushed out of the house, then stumbled through the mud to safety, and afterward returned to rescue Zhao Kexing.

Villagers said that on that day, Zhao Jinwen carried and hugged 11 elderly people to help them escape. In addition, because he and other village officials notified the people in time to evacuate, although nearly half of the village's houses were destroyed by the flood, none of the 680 people were killed or injured. Zhao Jinwen is the savior of the whole village.

Faced with praise, Zhao Jinwen was very shy: "Doing things for ordinary people is my duty. Don't focus on me. I hope people from all walks of life can care about the village's reconstruction."

In early August, Zhao Jinwen was named one of the "Most Beautiful Hebei People in the 2016 Flood Relief Effort" by the Publicity Department of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee.

Xinhua News Agency reporters Zhao Hongyu and Fan Shihui