Selfless few help many in need

On the evening of Sept. 16, Yeh Hu-lung (葉胡龍) called his grandmother in Chunghua County, telling her that he would bring home some crabs the following day, since he had a two-day vacation coming and crab was one of her favorite foods.

Three days later, his bloated body was found in the third basement level of a building in Sanchung, Taipei County.

Yeh was one of 56 fire fighters from the Taipei County Fire Department in Sanchung dispatched to help in relief efforts after Typhoon Nari swept through northern and central Taiwan.

He was the only one who failed to come back alive.

Typhoon Nari, which hovered over Taiwan between Sept. 16 and Sept. 19, caused the worst flooding in northern Taiwan's history and killed 90 people.

During and after the 73-hour deluge, many were called in to help in rescue and evacuation efforts. The National Fire Administration reports that none of the over 24,000 people that called for help were lost. But many remain in peril, and emergency crews continue on the job.

`A great hero'

Outside the Sanchung fire department, Yeh's colleagues have constructed a shrine where people can pay tribute to the nine-year firefighting veteran.

Yeh had just passed a national examination which qualified him to become an administrator when a slot became available. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old didn't live to see his promotion or his two young children grow up.

Yeh was called back on duty the night of Sept. 16 to rescue a senior citizen trapped in a building on Chingshan Road in Sanchung. He and another firefighter went to the scene in an inflatable boat, but before they could reach the person they sought, they and the boat were washed away by a flash flood.

His partner, a 21-year-old from Pingtung County, was too traumatized to talk about the accident.

"I think he needs a little time to get over it," said Wu Te-sheng (吳德盛), one of Yeh's colleagues.

Wu said that he remembered Yeh as a gregarious individual.

"He loved tea and liked to make friends. Five or six of us would find time to sit down, chat, drink tea, and take it easy during breaks," Wu said, pointing to Yeh's personal set of teapots and cups.

Wu said he remembered Yeh filling out forms for the intensive training program after passing the national exam the morning of the accident.

"I remember how he told me he had to pay NT$300 for the training. No one would've believed this would happen to him," he said.

Sitting outside the shrine was Yeh's aunt who helped raise him for six years after his mother remarried and abandoned him at the age of six.

"I raised him like one of my own," said the 60-year-old. "He got along well with my three children."

Yeh's father died four months after Yeh was born. Yeh was the first and only child in the family. He remained under the care of his grandmother after leaving his aunt and graduating from elementary school.

"We didn't dare tell my mother when we learned of his death," the aunt said. "I was worried like hell the moment I knew he was missing. Because I cannot read, I paid close attention to the news reports on TV and waited for the telephone call."

Three days of waiting finally ended with the sight of Yeh's bloated body.

Feeding her two-year-old son in the shade next to her husband's shrine Friday morning, Lu Yi-chun (盧依君) paid close attention to her four-year-old son playing under the blue sky.