Frogmen have a mystique all of their own. They arrive on the scene of major emergencies in waters around the world, searching for life beneath the surface and are frequently the first rescuers to set eyes on the sight of a disaster.

    New breed

    Physical fitness is crucial for a diver. To work under high pressure and in complex underwater environment, a diver needs stamina, strength and tolerance of cold and pressure. Divers must do a 3,000-meter run and 10 sessions of weight training everyday. Li Yansheng spends much of his time on the training ground.

    At almost 50, Li still appears strong and vigorous. Many young marines look up to this master chief petty officer. “I’ve been a member of the team for 30 years,” Li says. Underwater blasting, oxy-arc cutting, and exploration and salvage are all his specialties. He once worked for 199 minutes non-stop underwater, a record that has never been broken.

    On November 24, 1999, a boat capsized off the coast of east China’s Yantai City. Underwater visibility was near zero, and the mass of pipelines, cables and equipment in the cabin were a potential trap. Li volunteered to lead a rescue team. He groped his way into the cabin, clearing the passageway and searching for bodies. When the command post ordered Li to return immediately three hours into the search, the limit time for underwater operations, Li’s right foot stumbled over another victim. He was exhausted by that time and had to breathe hard, but he decided to bring the body with him. He passed out as soon as he was out of water. Other marines pulled him on deck – 199 minutes after he entered the water.

    Li Yansheng is among many divers in the “heroic salvage detachment”, an honorary title bestowed by the Central Military Commission, while Li Wei is a representative of a new generation.

    Li had dreamed of being a diver since he was a boy, but he quickly realized that being a qualified marine is no easy job.

    He was once ordered to rescue some fishermen trapped in a capsized boat. When he and his fellow marines arrived at the scene, they saw the fishing net attached to the boat “dancing” wildly in the fierce undercurrent.

    Li jumped into dark waters and felt his way ahead. Suddenly his leg was pulled by something. He realized he was snagged in the fishing net and that if he panicked, it could be fatal. Li calmly located the net, pulled out his diving knife and cut it away carefully. He then groped for the end of the huge net, rolled it up and tied it to the boat mast. He was sweating beneath his wet suit at the thought he had almost been snared like a fish.

    He swam to the cabin and located the two trapped fishermen. The water was up to their chins. Li gave them his respirator and briefly taught them to use it. Then he held his breath and guided the fishermen out. Forty minutes after starting the operation, he helped the fishermen on to the rescue boat. They were too weak to stand by themselves and just kept offering their thanks.

    That mission brought home to Li the importance of time and efficiency. He intensified his training in order to deal with all possible contingencies and to be “one second quicker, one meter deeper” in future.