Firefighter dies while rescuing a jumper, both perished
Yang Zhicheng / Graphic design. At around 10 PM last night, citizens were still watching at the location where the man jumped from the bridge. Photo by reporter Bi Zhiyi of the New Express.
The relatives of fallen firefighter Yao Xiwei were in deep sorrow. Photo by reporter Bi Zhiyi of the New Express.
The incident occurred in Xintang, where the Party Secretary and Mayor of Zengcheng City rushed to the scene to console the hero's family.
■ Coordinated by reporter Chen Haisheng of the New Express.
■ Written by reporters Wu Shenlin, Chen Haisheng, Li Guohui, Xu Lilove, Yang Chenggong, Wang Huitao of the New Express, and correspondents Zeng Gongxuan, Gongxuan, Xiaoxuan.
■ Photographed by reporter Bi Zhiyi of the New Express.
Yao Xiwei, 22 years old, was a veteran who joined the fire department after being discharged from the army. He had been on the job for less than half a year when he sacrificed his young life while attempting to rescue a man who had jumped off a bridge.
At around 5:30 PM yesterday, on the train bridge in Baishitangmei Village, Xintang Town, Zengcheng, a young man reportedly jumped off the bridge onto the railway tracks due to emotional issues. Firefighter Yao Xiwei of the Xintang Fire Station quickly scaled over the railing to rescue him at the bottom of the train bridge. As he was about to pull the man away from the tracks, a high-speed train traveling from Shenzhen to Guangzhou passed by and collided with Yao Xiwei. With severe head injuries, Yao Xiwei unfortunately died on the way to the hospital, and the jumping man also died on the spot. Currently, local government departments are involved in handling the situation.
The man suddenly jumped off the bridge. On the train bridge in Tangmei Village, Xintang Town, Zengcheng, a man climbed over the railing and went outside the railway fence, intending to jump off the bridge. Passersby noticed this; some tried to dissuade him while others immediately called the police. The Bai Shi Police Station received the alarm and immediately intervened.
"That man looked very young, standing there with a numb expression, refusing to come down no matter how we persuaded him," said an onlooker. The man was about 20 years old and remained silent as the police tried to persuade him. According to a motorbike driver who witnessed the incident, the man may have jumped off the bridge out of despair after arguing with his girlfriend.
Another informed source claimed that the man might have a history of drug addiction and was a drug user. The exact reason why he chose to harm himself is still under investigation, and none of the above claims have been confirmed by the police. According to the motorbike driver who witnessed the event, the police persuaded the man for more than half an hour, during which time his emotions seemed stable, and everyone thought he wouldn't jump. "Unexpectedly, he suddenly leapt down."
The firefighter was struck while attempting a rescue. After jumping, the man fell onto a high-speed train track and couldn't get up. "He didn't seem dead yet," said the motorbike driver. At that moment, firefighters outside the tracks quickly scaled over the railway fence and rushed forward to drag the man to safety.
A high-speed train from Shenzhen to Guangzhou roared toward them, and tragedy struck instantly.
The motorbike driver said that one of the firefighters had already reached the suicidal man and was about to move him off the tracks when the man struggled fiercely. In the blink of an eye, the high-speed train was upon them. "That man's head was cut off on one side, and the firefighter was thrown several meters away," said the motorbike driver. The suicidal man died on the spot, and the firefighter was quickly sent to the hospital by his colleagues for emergency treatment. "Another firefighter who saw his teammate get hit sat by the bridge edge for a long time, unable to speak, completely shocked."
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suicidal man was named Liang Peiwen (male, 33 years old, from Xintan Town, Shunde District, Foshan City), and the reasons for his suicide are still under investigation.
Police report: A critical moment of rescue coincided with the high-speed train passing through.
Last night, the Zengcheng police announced: On July 29, firefighter Yao Xiwei (male, 22 years old, from Zengcheng) of the Xintang Public Security Fire Station of the Zengcheng Brigade of the Guangzhou Fire Department tragically sacrificed his life while trying to rescue a man who jumped off the bridge at the train bridge in Baishitangmei Village, Xintang Town, Zengcheng, after being struck by a passing high-speed train.
At around 4:50 PM on July 29, the Zengcheng police received a public alert stating that a man intended to jump off the train bridge in Tangmei Village. Upon receiving the report, the Bai Shi Police Station and the Xintang Public Security Fire Station quickly dispatched personnel to handle the situation. At around 5:25 PM, just as the police were persuading the man, he suddenly jumped off the bridge and fell beside the train tracks. Firefighters such as Yao Xiwei from the Xintang Public Security Fire Station quickly went down to the bottom of the train bridge to rescue him. Just as the firefighters were about to pull the man away from the tracks, a train heading towards Guangzhou happened to pass by, resulting in the man's immediate death. Firefighter Yao Xiwei was struck by the high-speed train, fell off the protective rail, suffered serious head injuries, and was quickly taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. At 6:40 PM, despite medical efforts, Yao Xiwei tragically died.
Currently, the Zengcheng police are actively cooperating with relevant departments to handle aftermath work.
Official recognition of heroic deeds
After the incident, Guangzhou Municipal Committee Standing Committee member, Party Secretary of Zengcheng City, Xu Zhibiao, and Mayor Ye Niu Ping rushed to Xintang Town, held an on-site handling meeting, and consoled the family of firefighter Yao Xiwei. First, they fully recognized the heroic deeds of Yao Xiwei, who bravely sacrificed his life saving another. Second, the Guangzhou Human Resources Market Service Center, affiliated with the Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Department, will act as the employer to actively handle compensation and honor applications related to his line-of-duty sacrifice. Third, further investigations into the reasons for the man’s suicide will be conducted. Fourth, a post-incident handling working group has been established to take charge of all related aftermath work.
After arranging for the family to visit the body, Yao Xiwei's relatives were escorted home by leaders from Shitan Town.
Impressions:
Young and passionate new firefighter
Yao Xiwei was only 22 years old, a contract-based firefighter from Shitan Town, Zengcheng City. "He served in the army for two years in Fuzhou and was discharged last year," according to one of Yao Xiwei's relatives. Full of youthful vigor, Yao Xiwei could not sit idle after being discharged, so in March of this year, he became a firefighter at the Xintang Public Security Fire Station of the Zengcheng Brigade of the Guangzhou Fire Department, becoming a contract-based firefighter. "He started work on the ninth day of the first lunar month."
According to the squad leader of Yao Xiwei's fire station, although Yao Xiwei was a new recruit and his comrades did not know him deeply, his daily behavior showed that he was a very enthusiastic and ambitious person. "His performance in the fire department was excellent, without question."
Aftermath:
Grieving families require special care
After the incident, all the relatives of firefighter Yao Xiwei, who tragically lost his life while saving someone, arrived at the scene. Last night at the Xintang Town Government, reporters met Yao Xiwei's mother, younger brother, and others. "The family is extremely saddened now, and we have arranged professional medical staff to take care of them," according to informed sources. Yao Xiwei's younger brother is currently still in high school.
Impact:
Incident did not affect high-speed train operations
Guangzhou East Station stated that yesterday's afternoon incident did not affect the operation of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen high-speed train service. Only one train was delayed by more than ten minutes entering the station, which was likely the train involved in the collision. Other trains operated normally.
Question:
Was there communication with the railway department?
Since the man still showed signs of life after jumping off the bridge, the firefighters quickly descended to rescue him. Unfortunately, a high-speed train passed by just then, causing the tragedy. Some citizens questioned whether if the police had communicated promptly with the railway department at the time of handling the situation and made temporary adjustments to the line, it might have avoided the tragedy. According to informed sources, the police mainly focused on persuasion at the time, and the man's emotions had somewhat calmed down, leading to a turning point on-site. However, unexpectedly, the man suddenly jumped. Due to the sudden nature of the incident, they simply did not have time to communicate with the railway department.
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