A set of comparison photos of a police officer in southwest China’s Qinghai has gone viral, with netizens praising the light-skinned, handsome officer-turned bearded, tanned miner-looking man for his devotion.

The photos captured the change of look of Dawa Tashi, a police officer stationed at Zhaqing Village in Qinghai. In one photo, he was a good-looking, light-skinned officer in his uniform; in the other, he was tanned with messy hair and a beard. The bearded man without a uniform, many netizens said, looked more like a miner.

The drastic change of look reportedly took place over 45-day-period when Dawa Tashi was transferred to work at the emergency posts set up in response to a blizzard that nearly paralyzed the area on Feb. 3. His daughter was only three days old when he left for his post.

Dawa Tashi and other officers helped dispense supplies to rescuers, people in vehicles, and local residents. The officers also helped villagers trapped by the extreme weather.

Snowstorms have hit the region since December 28, 2018, with some areas receiving nearly half a meter of snow. By March 2, 2019, the snowstorms had affected 120,000 people and more than 1 million livestock, and led to the death of more than 26,000 livestock and 219 wild animals. Direct economic losses are estimated to be $84.3 million yuan, Xinhua reported.

“At the start of the snowstorm, it was too late to wait for the support team (for the setup of the emergency posts). Dawa Tashi led us in the rescue work. Every time a road to a villager’s house was cleared, it would be late after midnight,” said an officer on Dawa Tashi’s team, adding that it was hard to eat anything warm.

One time, they found a woman crying about her child who had caught a severe fever, while her other children remained stranded at home due to a blocked road, with barely any food supplies. Dawa Tashi ordered officers to drive the mother and her sick child to a county hospital and they brought food to her home on a two-hour foot journey to help the family.

“I guess I can only obey heaven’s order. When the snow is gone, I will go home to see my daughter,” Dawa Tashi said with tears in his eyes.