Relevant personnel were on-site for rescue operations, and the families of the victims were overwhelmed with grief.
Six students were swimming and playing by the riverbank when five of them slipped into the deep water zone. Several classmates who arrived at the scene quickly formed a human chain to rescue four of the drowning students from the water. Tragically, all four rescuers and one of the drowning students lost their lives.
On April 26, this devastating incident unfolded in the Matou Town of Jinan District, Lu'an City. After receiving an emergency call, local fire and other departments rushed to the scene, but unfortunately, all the students involved had already drowned.
The Incident: Students in Peril, Classmates Rush to Rescue
Around 12:40 PM on April 26, six sixth-grade boys from ChenTai Primary School in Matou Town, Jinan District, decided to go swimming together at the nearby Laopei River. Unexpectedly, five of them slipped into the deep water area, prompting another student to rush back to the school to call for help.
"Upon hearing that some classmates had fallen into the water, seven of our classmates who were good swimmers immediately ran to the riverside to rescue them," explained a classmate of the victims. Upon arrival, these seven students jumped into the river without hesitation, still fully clothed. Through their efforts, they managed to save four of the drowning students.
However, one student remained trapped in the deep water, facing a dangerous situation. Due to their limited strength and small stature, the rescuing students struggled. In an attempt to save their classmate, four of the rescuers grabbed hold of the last drowning student's hand.
Unfortunately, as they attempted to pull him up, disaster struck. With the water being about three meters deep, strong undercurrents, and the sandy riverbed making the soil unstable, one of the students lost footing and dragged the four rescuers into the river. Within moments, all five students sank beneath the water.
Rescue Efforts: Joint Search by Police and Civilians
According to Deputy Battalion Commander Li Shuang of the Jinan District Fire Brigade in Lu'an, they received the emergency call around 1:00 PM. Due to the long distance, it took an hour for the ten firefighters to arrive at the scene. Although witnesses suggested little hope for survival, rescue operations commenced immediately.
Firefighters determined the search area based on the water flow and velocity. However, the river current was rapid and filled with silt, making it impossible to see more than a few meters down. They assessed that powerful whirlpools in the river added significant difficulty to the search.
Subsequently, the firefighters altered their search strategy, borrowing a small boat from nearby villagers. With the assistance of local residents, they used tools like iron rakes to search for the missing students.
After over three hours of repeated searches, the rescue team successfully retrieved all five drowning students from the river.
Heartbreak: Most Victims Were Left-Behind Children
By 4:00 PM, reporters arrived at the scene, learning that the incident occurred along the Laopei River section within the Yinxian Town of Shouxian County. Four drowned teenagers had been recovered, but tragically, all had perished.
The bodies of the children were laid on the grass by the roadside, covered with bed sheets brought by nearby villagers. The relatives called out their names in hoarse voices, while several adult men had tears streaming down their faces mixed with sweat.
In the river, a boat carrying firefighters and another small boat manned by local villagers continued searching for the final child. At around 4:30 PM, the fifth drowning teenager was found. The boy's grandmother clutched her grandson, wailing loudly in heart-wrenching grief.
It was learned that most of the drowned teenagers were left-behind children, attending school in their hometowns with their grandparents. Currently, the parents of the deceased children are rushing home from their workplaces.
Regret: Saving Four, Losing Another Four
Reporters learned that all five drowning students lived in Matao Village, Matou Town, and were sixth-grade students at the same primary school.
According to Mr. Bian, a villager, many children in the area often played by the riverbanks, catching snails and splashing around. "At the time, there were six children playing there. One boy seemed afraid of water and did not enter the river," said Mr. Bian, noting that this fear likely saved his life.
When the incident happened, the boy on the shore immediately shouted for help. However, as most young adults in rural areas work away from home, only elderly people and children remain in the village. Even if they heard the cries for help, they could not reach the scene quickly enough to provide assistance. In the absence of immediate help, the boy returned to the school to call classmates for aid.
As a result, the seven classmates who arrived at the scene managed to rescue four students but tragically lost four others.
(Ru Wan and Wang Yongquan, Text/Photography)
(Edited by SN026)