A delivery rider’s alertness prevented a potential tragedy in China’s Hunan province when he rescued a woman trapped in a minus-20-degree Celsius commercial freezer for 20 minutes.
Here’s about the ordeal:
The incident occurred on August 31 evening when Chen, a logistics company employee, was working alone in her company’s cold storage facility. While moving goods, she violated standard safety protocols by using the freezer’s main door instead of the smaller access door, which requires at least two people for safe operation, according to the South China Morning Post.
Chen accidentally locked herself inside the 20-square-meter freezer after closing the main door tightly to prevent warm air from damaging stored products. The situation became critical when she discovered the backup release switch was malfunctioning, leaving her completely trapped in the sub-zero environment.
Dressed only in summer clothing and without her mobile phone, Chen found herself in a life-threatening situation. The freezer’s remote location and soundproof construction made her desperate calls for help virtually inaudible to potential rescuers passing nearby.
In her desperation, Chen resorted to using a heavy box and eventually her slipper to knock against the door, creating the only sounds that might alert someone to her predicament. Her persistence proved crucial when delivery rider Liu Xu, working in the vicinity, detected the faint knocking sounds.
Here’s what delivery man said:
Liu’s professional awareness proved life-saving. “Due to the nature of his work, Liu said he is always alert to his surroundings and stopped to investigate,” the report noted. His decision to investigate the unusual sounds led directly to Chen’s rescue.
Following her liberation, Chen required two hours to recover from severe hypothermia-like symptoms caused by prolonged exposure to the freezing temperatures. Her gratitude was demonstrated through traditional Chinese customs, presenting Liu with a red pennant symbolizing thanks, along with flowers, food, gift money, and remarkably, an offer to share ownership in her company.
The mother of two—one secondary school student and a five-year-old—revealed her primary fear during the ordeal: “Her biggest fear while trapped was for her children.” Chen acknowledged her safety protocol violation and emphasized the importance of regular equipment inspections and proper safety procedures.
The incident resonated widely online, with users praising both Liu’s vigilance and Chen’s generous response. One commenter noted: “This didn’t just save Chen, but also protected her children’s future.”
