Colleagues remember fallen coast guard

Guangdong officer died during attempt to catch smugglers in seas off Guangdong

Lin Qingping, an officer at the China Coast Guard's Shanwei workstation, still carries a deep sadness when talking about his 27-year-old colleague Wang Xiaolong, who lost his life during a mission in Shanwei, a coastal city in the eastern part of Guangdong province.

Tears welled up in Lin's eyes as he remembered the time they spent together, working and living side-by-side.

On March 24, Lin, Wang and two other law enforcement officers, Wang Shengsen and Chen Yongxi, responded to a tipoff about a major smuggling operation taking place in the waters off Shanwei.

Arriving in a small civilian fishing boat at about three o'clock in the morning, they confronted the suspected smugglers, who were moving illicit goods between a high-power modified motorboat and a transfer vessel.

Despite identifying themselves and attempting to apprehend the smugglers, they were faced with strong and violent resistance, and both Lin and Wang fell into the sea.

Lin suffered from serious injuries, including an open fracture to his lower left leg and massive hemorrhaging, after being struck by the boat's propeller.

Ignoring the pain, Lin shouted out Wang's name, trying to find his missing comrade. Wang had fallen into the sea before him. Lin refused immediate medical attention, insisting that they continue to search for Wang first. As a result, his lower left leg had to be amputated.

Wang's body was found two days later and it was determined that he had succumbed to injuries sustained from the propeller, which had struck him on his head, stomach and legs.

"At the critical moment, Wang rushed forward without hesitation. His spirit will always inspire us to move forward bravely," Lin said.

Despite his own life-changing injuries, Lin said he has no regrets about joining the fight against crime and emphasized the importance of cracking down on smuggling chains and channels "that pose a threat to the country's maritime security and the interests of the people".

China Coast Guard praised Wang as one of the thousands of outstanding coast guards who defend China's coastal areas and territorial seas with their lives.

China Coast Guard have dealt with more than 24,000 cases and investigated smuggling cases valued at 21 billion yuan ($3 billion) since 2018.

Law enforcers have also seized 9.88 metric tons of drugs and investigated the theft of more than 12 million metric tons of sea sand after cracking down on cases.

Lin was awarded first-class merit for outstanding performance, while Wang was recognized as a martyr and posthumously received first-class merit. Wang Shengsen and Chen were awarded third-class merits and each received a commendation and a recognition.

Meanwhile, the Communist Youth League of China Central Committee and All China Youth Federation posthumously awarded Wang the Chinese Youth May Fourth Medal for outstanding performance in fighting against marine crime.

Zhu Zhouzhou, one of Wang's comrades, said that Wang is like a lighthouse on the sea, shining the way forward. Cui Yuguo, another comrade, still can't bring himself to believe that Wang has passed away.

For his part, Zhang Xuehan, another law enforcer and Wang's comrade, described Wang as a tough guy with a tender heart, citing acts of kindness such as buying cakes for a child who had been abandoned at the workstation.

He said that Wang was known for his diligence and eagerness to learn, and that he had learned how to swim very quickly after joining the station.

Born to a poor family in Fuyang in Anhui province, Wang joined the Communist Party of China on Dec 18, 2020.

His mother, Zhang Caixia, said that her son had been sensible and mature since he was a child, and had taken on the housework he could after school because he wanted to help reduce her burden.

"After he joined the coast guard, he sent most of his salary home every month," she said.

Wang's family has chosen to withhold the truth of his passing from his 90-year-old grandmother to spare her undue sadness for as long as possible.

Wang was an only son, and his loss is deeply felt by those who knew and served alongside him.