Zhu Keming never thought he would be a hero one day, but he was just that on Saturday when he saved the lives of six runners during the mountain marathon (马拉松)in Baiyin, Gansu Province, in which 21 people lost their lives.
It started off as a normal day for the 49-year-old shepherd, who was taking care of his more than 30 sheep on the mountainside. But soon the weather was terrible, with rainfall and hail. The rain got so heavy that he couldn't see clearly and had to run into a cave where he normally went to have a rest. Soon he fell asleep in the cave after covering himself with some quilts he had stored there.
But he was awakened at 2 pm by an unusual sound that was not coming from his sheep. The sound that woke Zhu was the cry of a runner in the marathon. He was wet from head to toe and trembling because of cold. Zhu took him into the cave, lit a fire and covered the stricken (受伤的)runner with his quilts.
Zhu said that there were soon five runners huddling (挤作一团)in the cave, and he then decided to go outside to try to attract the attention of rescuers (救援者).
When he risked coming out of the cave, he found another stricken runner lying on the ground in bad condition. Then the other runners came out of the cave to give a hand. Zhu and the six runners remained huddled around the fire in his cave until 7 pm, when the rescue team arrived.
"I just did what I had to when I saw that these people were in danger. I think everyone would do the same thing in such a situation, "Zhu said to Beijing News.
Luo Chongchuan, the village head of Changsheng, where Zhu and his family live, said that the shepherd is a warm-hearted person who often helps his villagers.
