Matt Ryan: A Rescue Hero's Modest Response
The UK's Sun newspaper hailed him as a rescue hero, to which he calmly responded with "with great power comes great responsibility."
● Matt Ryan is a teacher at Chengdu University of Technology's collaborative education program.
● During the earthquake, he trekked for 11 hours and rescued 8 trapped individuals, including one who was 64 years old.
● The rescued individuals had been trapped for six days.
Three years ago, following the "5・12" Wenchuan earthquake, the UK's Sun newspaper commented that he was a rescue hero, reporting how he saved eight people in one go. Three years later, his colleagues in Chengdu only learned about this incident, marveling at how low-key this slim foreign teacher was.
Recently, Matt Ryan, a teacher at Chengdu University of Technology's cooperative education program, accepted an exclusive interview with Huaxi Metropolis Daily. Speaking about his heroic feat three years ago, he said, "I am not a hero; I have rescue skills and experience. If you have the ability, you should help others."
Uncovering a Hero Online
"I told my wife, 'I'm going to rescue people. I'm just telling you, don't tell anyone else.'"
Matt Ryan's Chinese name is Ma Qiang, and his students call him Brother Qiang. Brother Qiang came to Chengdu from Newcastle, UK, in 2002 and has been teaching at Chengdu University of Technology's collaborative education program ever since. He can speak both "foreign-accented" Mandarin and "Sichuan-accented" Mandarin.
Not long ago, one of Matt's colleagues used a search engine to look up Matt Ryan's name and accidentally found information about him on the UK's Sun newspaper: "BRIT HEROES SAVE QUAKE VICTIMS" (British heroes rescue earthquake victims). Below the headline was a large photo of a mud-covered foreigner tying knots on a rope, carrying out a rescue mission.
Having uncovered his "secret," the colleagues then traced back to the interview conducted by Phoenix TV's "Ruyu Youyue" with Matt Ryan's rescue team. In the program, Matt spoke very little, remaining extremely humble, "I told my wife before leaving, 'I'm going to rescue people with Duncan. I'm just telling you, don't tell anyone else.'"
"He is a benefactor of the Sichuanese, and we need to thank him together." The colleagues all believed that more people should know about him and his teammates' heroic rescue efforts three years ago. However, when Matt faced the interview with our newspaper, he did not agree with the Sun's headline, "Since I was young, I have liked exploring caves and have 15 years of mountaineering experience. Instead of sitting in front of the TV watching the news, it's better to use my skills to help others."
First to Arrive at Hui Long Gou
"So far, that might be the scariest mountain I've ever climbed."
On May 13, 2008, Matt was in Chengdu when he received a call from a friend in Beijing: "The Chinese government needs healthy volunteers with rescue experience and skills to participate in rescue operations." Without hesitation, he agreed and set off immediately. Matt's rescue team was one of the first teams to enter Hui Long Gou in Baishe River, Pengzhou.
Upon arriving in Dabao Town, Pengzhou, due to road blockages, vehicles could not proceed further, so the rescue team began trekking into the mountains. During this time, there were continuous aftershocks, and dangers could occur at any moment. On the evening of May 16, they received news: there were people trapped in the Hui Long Gou mining area, but there were warehouses and water, meaning there was a possibility of survivors. Time was of the essence, so at 5 AM the next morning, Matt, along with 37-year-old search and rescue team leader Noah and another British man named Duncan, set off under local guidance, carrying over 40 pounds of equipment and supplies.
"For experienced team members, it usually takes about an hour to walk 11 kilometers on flat terrain. But that day, we walked only about 2 kilometers per hour." Matt recalled that after the earthquake, the narrow strip of sky in Hui Long Gou disappeared, transforming from a U-shaped valley into a V-shaped valley, filled with many massive boulders. Aftershocks continued, and landslides and collapses occurred frequently. "So far, that might be the scariest mountain I've ever climbed." Eventually, the rescue team had to walk along the ridge, hoping to cross the entire mountain to reach their destination.
All existing paths had been destroyed by the earthquake. Every step the rescue team took required cutting away branches ahead with knives or even "drilling holes" to move forward. Their hands and arms were often scratched by branches. "Sometimes it felt like walking on a pancake." Moreover, if they fell off the cliff accidentally, there was almost no chance of survival.
Rescue Operations Using Ropes
"At the time, we weren't sure if the trapped individuals were still alive." When the GPS showed they were only two or three kilometers away from the target location, after trekking through the mountains for 11 hours with parched throats, they started shouting loudly. Fortunately, they finally received a response, which was already around 6-7 PM.
However, due to fallen rocks, the survivors were trapped below in the valley. To reach above the trapped individuals and lower themselves down using pulleys, ropes, and ascenders, they needed to get them out. The rescue team tied ropes around their bodies and used knives and chisels to carve out footholds on both sides of the cave walls, slowly descending step by step.
During the descent, the 40-pound backpacks and the hot air seeping out of the cave made the team sweat profusely. "I don't remember how many times we carved, but we descended about 1800 meters before we saw them." Matt recalled that there were 8 trapped individuals and a small dog who had been trapped for six days, one of whom was already 64 years old. Seeing that most of the trapped individuals were uninjured, Matt sighed with relief. Despite the significant physical exhaustion from the long trek, the team immediately distributed food and water to the trapped individuals.
After six days of waiting, the trapped individuals were once despondent but were now extremely moved upon being rescued. They were eager to leave the site as soon as possible. However, the weather had already turned dark, and climbing down the mountain was harder than climbing up. Matt and his team were now responsible for protecting the trapped individuals... Finally, after repeatedly falling and getting scraped and bruised, they returned to the base camp around 11 PM after traveling overnight.
Biography:
Received Four Years of Professional Training
Participated in Rescue Efforts for the Turkey Earthquake
One year after the earthquake, he went back to Bai Shui River to see if he could find the miners he had helped rescue, but due to their job relocations, he never met them again. However, the pace of post-disaster reconstruction had accelerated, and he witnessed the new appearance of Pengzhou.
"Now if I have time on weekends, I still go caving in the mountains of Pengzhou and in Wulong, Chongqing." Matt doesn't think the mountains pose a threat to him; he regards them as friends. In high school, under the influence of his teacher, Matt fell in love with caving. During his university days in the UK, he joined the school's caving club and later underwent four years of professional cave rescue training. In 1999, during the Turkey earthquake, he also participated in a week-long rescue operation there.
During his involvement in the Wenchuan earthquake rescue, the organizational capabilities of the Chinese government left a deep impression on Matt. "It felt more efficient than the Turkey rescue operation. The Chinese government's allocation of manpower and resources was very swift and well-prepared." After the Spring Festival this year, Matt returned to some villages in the northern part of Pengzhou. "Some roads and bridges have already been repaired. It must be much better now! When things are less busy, I will go back to see the people there."
Cao Yue, Huaxi Metropolis Daily reporter Xiao Di, intern Yang Shufei, photographer Chen Yuxiao.
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