China hero who saved classmates during quake at age 9, applauded by public for becoming dad
Lin shares that upon learning he was going to be a father, he developed a deeper appreciation for the value of life
A boy from China who rescued two classmates at the age of nine during the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake has entered a new chapter in his life as a father, earning countless blessings from netizens across the nation.
The catastrophic earthquake struck Sichuan province in southwestern China, claiming over 69,000 lives, injuring nearly 370,000 people, and affecting a total of 46.25 million individuals.
Amid the devastation, Lin Hao, a Primary Two student who was just nine years old at the time, found himself trapped beneath the rubble alongside his classmates when their school building collapsed.
Lin managed to crawl out from under the debris but did not immediately flee to safety.
Instead, he bravely returned to the ruins and successfully carried two classmates to safety, sustaining head injuries and severe arm strains in the process.
Young Lin explained at the time that he was willing to risk his life to save others purely out of a sense of responsibility as the class monitor.
He stated: “Because I am the class monitor! If all my classmates were gone, what would be the meaning of being a monitor?”
Lin’s heroic actions during the disaster touched the hearts of millions across China, earning him the title of “Heroic Youth in Earthquake Relief” from Chinese authorities.