两次“藏不住”的善举，亮出了海军战士的“本色”

Recently, a certain brigade of the Northern Theater Navy

received a banner

for the heroic act of First Class Sergeant Yang Wenke

who bravely rescued a drowning person during his leave.

His deeds have finally "come to light."

▲ The rescued individual presented a banner to Yang Wenke's unit

On the afternoon of August 2,

Yang Wenke was enjoying a day out with his wife and children

at a seaside scenic area in Dalian, Liaoning Province,

when he suddenly heard tourists shouting, "Someone is drowning in the sea!"

Looking in the direction of the sound,

he saw a person in the water being swept away by the current,

and the situation was critical.

▲ Scene of Yang Wenke rescuing the person (photo sourced from on-site witnesses)

Without a moment to think,

Yang Wenke grabbed a nearby life buoy and jumped into the sea.

As he approached, the drowning person, driven by survival instinct,

struggled in panic,

causing both of them to go under the water.

Yang Wenke immediately secured the life buoy around the individual's arm,

while he himself fought against the waves to pull them both.

After about ten minutes,

the rescue boat from the scenic area arrived at the scene.

Yang Wenke promptly lifted the man onto the boat,

and on the way back, he briefed the rescuers

on the situation and the rescue process.

▲ Yang Wenke resting after the rescue (photo sourced from on-site witnesses)

After resting on the shore for a moment,

Yang Wenke wrung out his soaked clothes

and quietly left with his family.

▲ Yang Wenke posing for a photo with the rescued individual

Days later,

after several twists and turns,

the rescued person managed to contact Yang Wenke's unit through the police

to present the banner.

He firmly shook Yang Wenke's hand and said,

"Thank goodness you were there; otherwise, I wouldn't have survived!"

▲ Sergeant Zhao Lei from the brigade

Coincidentally,

just a few days prior,

Sergeant Zhao Lei's good deed

was discovered during an internal organization when a red donation slip was found.

▲ Thank-you letter and honor certificate from the Nanning Charity Association to Zhao Lei

It turns out that over a month ago,

the flood situation in Guangxi was severe,

and Zhao Lei quietly took a sum of money from his personal savings

to donate to the disaster area.

Living a simple life, he

always remembers the principle of serving the people wholeheartedly.

After donating, he continued his training and daily life without mentioning it at all.

▲ Zhao Lei selected for the "China Good Person List" in the third quarter of 2024

In fact, this is not the first time Zhao Lei has done good deeds.

In April 2023,

while returning to the unit from leave, he discovered

a car emitting thick smoke.

Without hesitation, he smashed the window to rescue people,

dragging three trapped individuals out and sending them to the ambulance before

quietly leaving.

In the third quarter of the following year,

Zhao Lei was recognized for this good deed

and selected for the "China Good Person List" released by the Central Office for Spiritual Civilization Construction.

Both instances of being "discovered" were stories that Yang Wenke and Zhao Lei did not intend to share.

However, whenever the people needed them,

each time they chose to "not think too much."

This is the embodiment of the new era of People's Navy soldiers.

Editor’s Commentary

Rescuing people and then "quietly leaving" is their "habit."

From Yang Wenke lifting lives from the waves to Zhao Lei donating to disaster areas and running into fire scenes, the scene of People's Navy soldiers "quietly leaving" after rescuing people is played out time and again.

"Not thinking too much" is the most instinctive response when facing danger; "quietly leaving" is the most ordinary turn after completing a task. On the training ground, they are sailors battling the waves, and back among the people, they remain the guardians at the forefront. A naval soul shirt and a body covered in white foam are never just worn on the body—they are etched in every choice of "not thinking too much" and reflected in every "quietly leaving" silhouette.

Authors: Guan Xiangyu, Du Siqi, Fu Kang, Dai Siyuan, Sun Haochen, Jia Hao, Cao Hongyang, Qiao Chengkang