A still image shows Zhang Yun trying to catch the girl. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)
A dry goods seller has recently become a savior for a girl who fell from a canopy about five meters above ground at a wholesale market in Southwest China's Chongqing, the Chongqing Evening Post reported.
Zhang Yun, 42, was answering a phone call when he heard a noise and saw a girl on the canopy about 40 meters away around noon on May 15, and in 10 seconds, he rushed to the canopy, trying to stop her from stepping forward.
His behavior was recorded by the market's monitoring system. From the cashier table in his store, Zhang could just see the Panlong Rongxing Kindergarten.
"I ran to the canopy, and the girl was crying for her mom and walking to the edge. Trying to keep my voice calm, I asked her not to walk again, but she did not stop," said Zhang, who has sold dry goods at the market for nine years.
"My first thought was that she should not move at all," he said. Zhang had to step forward a little to adjust his position, and protect the girl who might fall soon.
"I estimated the position where she might fall. I remember that firefighters would set up an air cushion to protect people falling," Zhang said, thinking his body could serve as a pillow to save her.
Fortunately, Zhang succeeded in catching the girl when she fell, with tears in his eyes. "I would cry for my incompetence if I failed, but I succeeded. They were joyful tears." Zhang tore his leg muscle in the process.
Chen Ling, the girl's father, said his daughter, three years old and weighing about 20 kilograms, got an upset stomach and went to the bathroom herself because the teacher was busy with other children after lunch.
However, she could not open the door afterward, and climbed out of the window to fall to the canopy, Chen said. He thanked Zhang very much for saving his daughter and said his family would treat Zhang and his family as relatives.
The kindergarten has apologized for the incident, fenced off the window and fired the teacher.
