Zhao Jinwen: carrying and holding 11 old people to escape in the flood

In Wulihe Village, Taoquan Township, Ci County, Hebei Province, which was seriously affected by floods, Zhao Jinwen, secretary of the Party Branch, escaped from the flood not long ago by carrying 11 elderly people on his back and being called a lone hero by the local people.

July 19, Taoquan Township rainstorm, 11:00, the water level rose to the waist.

Zhao Jinwen rushed into Zhao Yuanlin and Zhou Zihua's house and shouted,"Run quickly, the flood is coming!"

"I can't leave. The water is too big. Don't worry about me. Run!" Zhou Zihua said desperately.

"I'll carry you!" Zhao Jinwen carried Zhou Zihua on his back and waded waist-deep flood water to high ground. The water surface kept rising. Floating glass debris, gravel and gas tanks rushed past Zhao Jinwen. He lowered his center of gravity to grasp balance and raised his center of gravity to avoid obstacles. After arriving with difficulty, the shoes on his feet had disappeared.

Zhao Jinwen carried Zhao Yuanlin barefooted again." He kept telling me to hold onto him tightly on the way. Close your eyes. Don't be afraid." Zhao Yuanlin said. Just as Zhao Yuanlin was carried to safety, the flood water in his house had already reached the window.

At 15:00, the second flood peak hit, Zhao Jinwen found 80-year-old Zhou Youying privately returned home, the situation is critical! Zhou Youying's home was built on the mountain. The courtyard and gate had accumulated water half a meter deep. He immediately thought of setting up a ladder to enter the home through the roof for rescue. With the help of villagers, he carried a 5-meter-long wooden ladder weighing more than 100 jin down to Zhou Youying's house.

After finding Zhou Youying, Zhao Jinwen, who is 1.65 meters tall and weighs more than 120 jin, carries up the old man of 110 jin and goes to the room. Because of the serious ponding in the streets, he had to carry the old man to safety with the help of ladders through many roofs.

"When climbing the stairs, Jin Wen patted me on the shoulder from time to time and told me that it was safe up there." Zhou Youying trembled and said,"If it weren't for him, I definitely wouldn't have passed 80 years old."

Zhao Kexing and Chai Yuxiang are an 83-year-old couple. Although the village cadres have notified them to evacuate four times before, they ignored them. Zhao Jinwen risked his life to arrive at his home, the flood like a waterfall from the roof, the two old people were already confused.

Zhao Jinwen picked up Chai Yuxiang and walked away. He used his back as a shield to block the flood from rushing out of the house. He ran to safety in the mud and then returned to rescue Zhao Kexing.

Villagers said that that day, Zhao Jinwen even carried a belt to help 11 elderly people escape. In addition, because he and other village cadres informed the masses to move in time, although nearly half of the village houses were destroyed, 680 people were not killed or injured. Zhao Jinwen is the benefactor of the whole village.

In the face of praise, Zhao Jinwen is very shy: "It is my duty to do things for the common people. Don't pay attention to me. I hope all walks of life can care about the reconstruction of the village."

At the beginning of August, Zhao Jinwen was rated as "the most beautiful Hebei people in flood relief in 2016" by the Propaganda Department of Hebei Provincial Party Committee.

Xinhua Agency: Zhao Hongyu, Fan Shihui