The accidental hero

Cao Baicheng (right) and his co-workers at Zhijian Mine in Shanxian County Lu Zhongqiu

For years the miners, who are only too aware of the perilous nature of their work, have viewed the church as a source of comfort, even if they cannot say how many centuries ago Christianity was introduced to this part of Sanmenxia in Henan Province.

But for Cao Baicheng, who has been working these resource-rich caves for almost a quarter of a century, these symbols of religion and industry now serve as grim reminders of his own mortality.

And that of his fellow miners.

In July, Zhijian Mine flooded and Cao was trapped over 1,000 meters underground with 68 others - an occupational hazard for those born into this kind of life.

Fleeing for their lives and with their access route to the outside world cut off, Cao marshaled his crew to a common meeting point along a subterranean terrace, alerting others to the flood threat along the way.

Then he had a flash of genius.

With air in short supply and the panic level rising, Cao remembered something at his workstation - piping used to pump air into some of the machines - and ran to get it.

"It simply came to my mind that this pipe was the only thing that had one end above the ground," he said. "If our rescuers pump air into it, we can have some air underground."

The plan worked, and together with the help of Xu Guangchun, the Communist Party secretary of Henan, and Li Yizhong, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, no lives were lost.

Some 70 hours after pledging that "the miners are to be saved at any cost," Xu saw the last one exit the mine safely, a miracle achievement given their statistical odds of surviving such an incident.

Since coal was first discovered in Shanxian at the beginning of the last century, people have risked their lives to feed their families and help sustain China's growth.

For Cao, who was born to a family of farmers and whose three elder brothers all entered the mining industry, his course in life was set by fate.

But not on that particular day, when the water came and the future - like the sky - seemed to vanish forever.

After he had assembled the workers and introduced a life-saving air supply, he helped shape a four-member commanding committee to distribute food and save energy. All but two of the mining lamps were turned off and the workers were even able to reconnect a telephone line to the surface.

After about 24 hours underground the miners got another surprise treat when milk began pouring in through a small pipe linking the terrace with the ground.

Nearly three days after their ordeal began, it was over.

"Although I saw many deaths in small, illegal mines, death has never been so near to me," Cao said. "I came to realize that as long as we are alive, things can get better."

Cao said he plans to go on working at the mine, despite the ever-present danger.

When asked what benefits he hoped to achieve from his heroic acts, he said he hoped to get his daughter back to school after pulling her out four years ago for financial reasons.

"I really wish someone could help with that," he said.

(China Daily 10/19/2007 page25)