Xinjiang police officers injured while saving herder’s sheep from strong current

Five policemen quickly came to the rescue after a herder’s sheep fell into a trench in Wuqia county of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on May 30. Because of the strong currents, the officers slipped and fell several times while chasing the sheep for more than 1 kilometer in the water before successfully saving all three.

(Photo/WeChat account zgzs001)

The four policemen suffered various degrees of injuries. One of them, named Tursun Alim, hit his legs against a stone while he was being swept away by the water.

“Saving the sheep was all I was thinking about. I didn’t hesitate before jumping into the water,” said Tursun Alim, who became a member of the Communist Party of China seven years ago.

The sheep’s owner said he was touched when he saw the policemen going all out to protect his sheep, and felt sorry that they had been injured while helping him. “Thank you, police officers. I hope you all recover soon,” he said.

(Photo/WeChat account zgzs001)

The police officers have had their wounds treated, according to Tursun Alim, saying the injuries are not serious and they are going to be fine. “We knew the sheep matter a lot to the herder. Our injuries were trivial as long as we could save the man’s assets,” Tursun Alim noted.