Contrary to what movie fans may think, not all heroes wear capes.
They also do not lose their hero status just because they knock off work – a notion evident in this 22-year-old sergeant’s heroics.
22YO Sergeant was Awarded the Community Lifesaver Award for Saving Drowning 3 YO
According to The New Paper, Sgt Al Asyraf had been off duty in a hotel’s swimming pool on 27 Feb 2021 when he noticed something queer.
Advertisements
Apparently, he saw “something pink underwater that was not moving for seven to 10 seconds”.
Sensing something amiss, he approached closer and saw “arms and legs”.
He immediately leapt in and retrieved a drowning three-year-old girl.
Once she was out of the water, her onrushing father hurried to set her down on a nearby bench.
But she was not out of danger yet.
With no pulse and no breathing activity, the girl was evidently still stranded in a life-threatening situation, and the sergeant had to do what he does best again:
Saving mankind. Or girlkind in this case.
He reportedly commenced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her and breathed a sigh of relief when she began spewing water.
Advertisements
He, alongside the girl’s father, then continued performing CPR to “pump water out of her system”. The valiant act lasted until six minutes later when the ambulance arrived in the nick of time.
Gratitude
According to the sergeant, the girl’s mother was beyond grateful.
“The girl’s mother approached me before the ambulance left and thanked me, telling me, ‘I wouldn’t know what would have happened if you weren’t there,” he said.
For his efforts, he was rewarded with the prestigious Community Lifesaver Award. He has since expressed hopes that the act will inspire more to do the same.
“I am not receiving this award because I am a police officer – anyone can receive this award. I hope it can help people realise that anyone can save lives.”
Advertisements
Heroics
Over the last few years, several heroic individuals have proven that heroes are more than just caped crusaders.
In August last year (2020), 77-year-old Mdm Chen noticed heavy smoking emitting from the unit below hers.
Hearing that there was a fire downstairs, she sprang into action.
Her endeavour, however, was limited due to her her age and physical condition. As if her age wasn’t enough of an obstacle, Mdm Chen was also plagued by asthma and had only recently suffered an attack.
In fact, she was fresh out of the hospital when the incident occurred.
Advertisements
Even so, motivated by her desire for the safety of her neighbour, she pressed on and trotted quickly to the neighbour’s flat.
Fortunately, her neighbour and her son had already made it out of the flat to safety, alongside the prompt arrival of police and SCDF personnel to handle the evacuation and the fire itself.
When being praised as a hero, she humbly claimed: “I’m not a hero, I’m simply doing what I should have done.”
Tilting Lamppost
And in another scenario, on 12 Dec 2020, a 38-year-old man, his wife, and two other women were taking a photo after dinner when they heard a clicking sound from the lamppost.
It was reportedly tilting.
The four of them then rushed to the tilting lamppost and quickly held it up.
Advertisements
10 minutes later, a family of 5 who was walking to their car saw the group struggling with the lamppost and helped them prop the large structure up.
It reportedly stood 15m tall and weighed several hundred kilograms.
One of them then rushed to a restaurant to look for help while the others informed the authorities.
When police officers arrived on the scene, they too joined the group in holding up the lamppost.
According to Shin Min Daily News, people in the group took turns to rest, as it was physically taxing to hold up the post for such a long time. They also gave each other words of encouragement.
Advertisements
The lamppost was subsequently brought down safely by the authorities.
On Tuesday (23 Feb), the 13 people who helped prop up the lamppost received awards from the Singapore Police Force for their “public spiritedness”.
In the end, these acts serve as overwhelming indicators that heroes are more than just their superpowers and electrifying genetics.
Anyone can become a hero. You just need a heroic spirit.
Featured Image: Facebook (Singapore Civil Defence Force)
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
