Firefighter Dies While Rescuing a Man Who Jumped Off a Bridge
At approximately 10 p.m. last night, citizens were still watching from the spot where a man had jumped off the bridge. Correspondent of Xin Kuai Daily, Bi Zhiwei, took the photos. Relatives of fallen firefighter Yao Xiewei were deeply saddened. Also photographed by Xin Kuai Daily correspondent, Bi Zhiwei.
The incident occurred in Xintang, where the Party Secretary and Mayor of Zengcheng rushed to the scene to console the hero's family.
■ Coordinated by Xin Kuai Daily reporter Chen Haiseng
■ Written by Xin Kuai Daily reporters Wu Shenlin, Chen Haiseng, Li Guohui, Xu Lifu, intern Wang Huizao, and correspondents Zeng Gongxuan, Gongxuan, Xiaoxuan
■ Photographed by Xin Kuai Daily correspondent Bi Zhiwei
Yao Xiewei, 22 years old, was a retired soldier who joined the fire department after his discharge, becoming a new recruit. Having been on the job for less than half a year, he sacrificed his young life while rescuing a man who attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge.
At around 5:30 p.m. yesterday, on the train bridge at Baishitangmei Village in Xintang Town, Zengcheng, a young man reportedly jumped off the bridge onto the railway tracks due to emotional issues. Firefighter Yao Xiewei of the Xintang Fire Station in Zengcheng City immediately climbed over the railing to rescue the man beneath the train bridge. As he attempted to pull the man away from the train tracks, a high-speed train traveling from Shenzhen to Guangzhou approached rapidly and struck Yao Xiewei with fatal force. Severely injured in the head, Yao Xiewei tragically died en route to the hospital, while the man who jumped off the bridge also perished on the spot. Currently, local government departments have intervened in handling the situation.
A man suddenly jumped off the bridge at the train bridge in Tangmei Village, Xintang Town, Zengcheng. Passersby noticed the man climbing over the railing and reaching outside the railway fence, intending to jump off the bridge to commit suicide. Some tried to dissuade him, while others quickly called the police. The Bai Shi police station received the alarm and immediately arrived at the scene.
"That young man looked very numb, standing there without responding to any persuasion," said onlookers. Estimated to be about 20 years old, the man remained silent as the police officers tried to talk to him. According to a witness, the man might have argued with his girlfriend and impulsively decided to take his own life by jumping off the bridge.
Another informed source suggested that the man may have had a history of drug addiction and was possibly under the influence. The exact reason why he chose to jump remains under investigation and has not yet been confirmed by the police. According to the witness's description, the police had persuaded him for about half an hour, during which the suicidal man appeared somewhat calmer, leading everyone to believe he wouldn't jump. "Unexpectedly, he suddenly leapt down."
The firefighter was hit while attempting rescue
After jumping, the man fell onto one of the high-speed train tracks and couldn't get up. "It seemed like he wasn't dead yet," said the witness. At that moment, the firefighter outside the track quickly climbed over the railway fence and ran towards the man to drag him to safety.
A high-speed train coming from Shenzhen to Guangzhou roared towards them, and tragedy struck instantly.
The witness stated that one of the firefighters had already reached the suicidal man and was trying to move him off the tracks when the man fiercely resisted. In the blink of an eye, the speeding train was upon them. "That man's head was cut in half, and the firefighter was thrown several meters away," the witness recounted. The suicidal man died on the spot, while the firefighter was quickly taken to the hospital by his colleagues for emergency treatment. "Another firefighter who witnessed his teammate being hit sat silently at the edge of the bridge, too shocked to speak."
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suicidal man was named Liang Peiwen (male, 33 years old, from Xingtan Town, Shunde District, Foshan City). The reasons behind his attempt are still under investigation.
Police report
Critical moment of rescue coincided with the approach of a high-speed train
Last night, the Zengcheng Police Department reported to the media: On July 29, firefighter Yao Xiewei (male, 22 years old, from Zengcheng) from the Xintang Public Security Fire Station of the Zengcheng Brigade of the Guangzhou Fire Department, tragically lost his life while saving a man who jumped off a bridge in Baishitangmei Village, Xintang Town, Zengcheng, after being hit by a high-speed train.
At approximately 16:50 on July 29, the Zengcheng police received an alarm from a citizen stating that a man intended to jump off the train bridge in Tangmei Village. After receiving the report, personnel from Bai Shi police station and the Xintang Public Security Fire Station swiftly arrived at the scene. Around 17:25, while the police were persuading the man, he suddenly jumped off the bridge and landed between the train tracks. Firefighter Yao Xiewei from the Xintang Public Security Fire Station quickly descended to the bottom of the train bridge to rescue him. Just as the firefighter was about to pull the man out of the train tracks, a train heading towards Guangzhou passed by, resulting in the death of the man on the spot. Firefighter Yao Xiewei was struck by the high-speed train and fell off the guardrail, sustaining severe head injuries. He was promptly sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. At 18:40, despite efforts to save him, Yao Xiewei unfortunately passed away.
Currently, the Zengcheng police are actively cooperating with relevant departments to handle the aftermath.
Official recognition of heroic deeds
Guangzhou Municipal Committee Member, Secretary of Zengcheng Party Committee Xu Zhibiao, and Mayor Ye Niu Ping went to Xintang Town after the incident, held a meeting for on-site handling, and consoled the family of firefighter Yao Xiewei. First, they highly praised Yao Xiewei's selfless act of bravery and sacrifice. Second, the Guangzhou Human Resources Market Service Center under the Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau would actively handle the compensation and honor application process for public service-related casualties. Third, further investigations into the reasons for the man's suicide would be conducted. Fourth, a post-incident handling working group would be established to specifically manage related follow-up work.
After arranging for relatives to view Yao Xiewei's body, they were escorted home by leaders from Shitan Town.
Impressions
Young and passionate new firefighter
Yao Xiewei was only 22 years old, a contractual firefighter from Shitan Town, Zengcheng. "He served in the army in Fuzhou for two years and was discharged just last year," according to one of Yao Xiewei's relatives. Full of energy, Yao Xiewei could not stay idle after his discharge and joined the Xintang Public Security Fire Station of the Zengcheng Brigade of the Guangzhou Fire Department in March this year as a contractual firefighter. "He started work on the ninth day of the first lunar month."
According to the squad leader of Yao Xiewei's fire station, although Yao Xiewei was a new recruit and his comrades did not know him well, his actions showed him to be a very enthusiastic and ambitious person. "His performance in the fire team was excellent, beyond reproach."
Aftermath
Grieving family needs special care
After the incident, all family members of the fallen firefighter Yao Xiewei who died while saving another were present at the scene. Last night at the Xintang Town Government, reporters saw Yao Xiewei's mother, younger brother, and others. "The family is extremely distressed now, and we have arranged professional medical staff to take care of them," said an informed source. It was learned that Yao Xiewei's younger brother is still in high school.
Impact
Incident did not affect high-speed train operations
Guangzhou East Station stated that yesterday afternoon's accident did not impact the operation of the Guangshen high-speed trains. Only one train was delayed by more than ten minutes entering the station, estimated to be the train that collided with someone. Other trains operated on time.
Questions
Was communication with the railway department possible?
Since the man still had signs of life after jumping off the bridge, the firefighter quickly went down to rescue him. Unfortunately, a high-speed train passed by at that moment, causing a tragedy. Some citizens questioned whether if the police had communicated with the railway department in time and made temporary adjustments to the line, the tragedy might have been avoided. According to informed sources, the police mainly focused on persuasion at the time, and the man's emotions had somewhat eased, giving hope for a turn for the better. Unexpectedly, the man suddenly jumped down. Due to the sudden nature of the incident, they simply did not have enough time to communicate with the railway department.
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