Guide Note

On May 16, 2008, delivery driver Lin Deyun was rescued from the rubble of a fertilizer plant in Yunhua, China. He had been buried since the Sichuan earthquake struck there four days earlier.

Doctors had to amputate part of Deyun's leg and arm to free him from the rubble. Reports said the 50-year-old Deyun did not suffer any internal injuries, and was expected to survive.

Fast Facts

1. 50-year-old delivery driver
2. Rescued from Yinfeng Fertilizer Plant
3. Plant located 50 miles from Sichuan capital of Chengdu
4. Arm and leg amputated to free him
5. Deyun was delivering coal to factory when quake struck

Efforts to rescue Deyun began in earnest on May 15, 2008, when crews heard faint sounds coming from the rubble of the fertilizer plant.

Doctors amputated parts of Deyun's leg and arm in order to free him from the heavy concrete slabs. 22 hours after the rescue effort began, Deyun was freed and taken to a Chinese hospital.

1. "I talked to my father yesterday. I called out: 'Daddy' and he said: 'I want water'. I was crying. He said he could not move at all."— Liu Yuanyuan, Deyun's daughter
2. ""We discussed with him that we would have to operate. He agreed that the most important thing was to save his life. He does not seem to have internal injuries and he is very strong-willed, so we expect him to live."— Zhao Hongxiu, Chinese military medic