'I am not a hero for I just did what every Chinese would do'

'I am not a hero for I just did what every Chinese would do'

数次折返救出一家人：我不是英雄，只能说对得起“中国人”这三个字

 

On the afternoon of July 20, extreme rainfall rarely seen in history lashed Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan province, threatening the lives of two children trapped in a car with their mother. At the critical moment, many passers-by jumped into the water, swam to the car, broke the windows and finally saved their lives in the flood.

7月20日下午郑州暴雨，积水激流之中，大人和小孩被困车内，生命危在旦夕，救援群众从四面八方游来，不断敲击车窗救人，合力连续就出两个孩子一个大人……

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Giving thumbs-up to the ordinary heroes, people across China were deeply moved by this video. "Tears streamed down my face," a netizen commented.

这条惊心动魄的救援视频，感动了全国网友，网友留言“看到泪流满面”，纷纷点赞致敬平凡勇敢的英雄。

 

On the morning of July 23, we made an interview with one of the heroes. Aged 29, Feng Jinchao is the deputy general manager of a pub in Zhengdong New District of Zhengzhou. His friends often call him "A Chao".

7月23日上午，顶端新闻联系上参与救人的英雄之一，29岁的冯进朝，是郑东新区一家酒吧的副总经理，身边朋友平时称呼他“阿超”。

 

During the interview, Mr. Feng said simply, "There were many rescuers at that time. It's nothing and I don't want to make it go viral online."

当记者联系上采访时，阿超平淡地说：“救人的不是我一个人，本来就是举手之劳，不值一提，不想闹得沸沸扬扬。”

 

Over the past two days, Mr. Feng had received many praises from his friends on WeChat, for example, "You are really a hero." and "Salute to our hero." Instead of drowning in their praises, he only replied, "Don't call me a hero since I just did what every Chinese would do."

过去两天，身边不断有朋友给他发微信点赞“超哥，你是英雄”“致敬英雄”，他回复说：“英雄这个词别用在我身上，我只能说，我对得起中国人这三个字。”

 

Mr. Feng told us his story.

阿超向记者讲述了救人的整个经过。

Feng Jinchao. [Photo/video clip]

On July 20, Mr. Feng was working at the pub. Suddenly a torrential downpour flooded the road.

7月20日下午5点多，阿超正在绿地缤纷城附近的酒吧上班，突降暴雨，积水很快淹没路面。

 

Around 5:30 pm, a passer-by ran for help. "Help, my children are being washed away!"

大约5点半，突然一位路人跑来求救：“快救救我的家人，我的孩子被水冲走了！”

 

On hearing "children", he felt a knot in his stomach and immediately asked for help from his colleagues in the pub's WeChat group. After receiving the message, Wang Shenzhen, a colleague of him, came to the front door without hesitation.

听到“孩子”两个字，在酒店后门的阿超心里一紧，赶紧向公司工作群传递求助消息，同事王深圳看到后回复了俩字“来了”，从前门赶来。

Wang Shenzhen. [Photo/video clip]

The pub had organized fire drills in the past, so Mr. Feng and Mr. Wang rushed to the micro fire station of the pub for safety rope. "Thanks to the safety rope!"

酒吧搞过消防演练，阿超和王深圳跑到酒吧微型消防站，拿出安全绳跑去营救，“现在回想起来，多亏了那条安全绳！”

 

That's when he learned that two children and their mother were trapped in a partially submerged car. 

这时，他才知道有两个孩子和一位母亲是被困在了即将淹没的车里。

 

It was raining extremely hard at that time, with soaring water level and unknown underwater condition. In the water full of debris and electric cars, Mr. Feng and Mr. Wang tried to reach the car, but the rain was so heavy that they could hardly keep their eyes open.

当时正是暴雨正大的时候，积水不断上涨，水下情况不明，有各种杂物和冲倒的电动车，阿超和同事王深圳试探着移动到被淹车辆处，雨势太大，眼睛几乎睁不开。

 

Soon, more and more people came to help them, and with the joint efforts, broke the windows. The first rescued child was taken to the safe place with a bucket, following the second child and their mother, thanks to the safety rope.

很快，前来帮助的人越来越多，众人合力将车窗砸开，有人拿来大垃圾桶，大家将救出的第一个孩子通过水桶转运出来，接着又救出第二个孩子，最后将大人救出。整个过程多亏有安全绳的保障。

 

After rescuing, Mr. Feng noticed that the water level had risen to his mouth and nose with underground garage entrance and a strong current nearby. "If it hadn't been for that safety rope, I would have been swept into the underground garage."

结束救援往路边移动时，阿超发现水位已经上升到了口鼻处，而旁边就是地下车库出入口，水流非常急，“如果不是那条安全绳，我可能就被冲进地下车库了。”

 

Finally, with the safety rope and the bucket, Mr. Feng and others successfully rescued the two children and their mother. Only when he returned to the pub did Mr. Feng found that his legs and feet were scratched.

最终，众人利用安全绳和垃圾桶，安全地将车上一家三口营救到旁边超市休息。而当阿超回到公司休息时，才发现腿脚多处划伤。

 

Mr. Feng was both excited and a little scared after the rescue's success. "I can't swim. Having no time to spare for my own safety, I just wanted to find them and save their lives. I was a little scared and felt exhausted after that."

救助成功的那一刻，阿超心里非常高兴，但也有些后怕，“我不会游泳，当时我都顾不上想着我自己的安全，就想找到孩子把孩子救上来，救人的时候没想，救完的时候有点害怕，特别是救完时浑身发抖，筋疲力尽。”

 

Let's salute to the ordinary heroes!

致敬平凡英雄！

 

In the face of the natural disaster, they write a heroic story.

灾难面前，让我们看见了一个伟大的故事。

 

The people in Henan are fearless, persevering and broad-minded. Their bravery is the brightest beacon in the disaster.

无畏、坚韧和大爱，河南人的勇敢，是这场突如其来的水灾中最亮的灯塔。（中文来源/顶端新闻 翻译/赵汉青 海报/实习生王君艺 审校/陈行洁）