Chinese military officer saves rookie’s life after he drops grenade

A veteran military officer saved a raw recruit’s life in China after he dropped a live grenade in a training exercise.

Video footage taken at the PLA air force aviation school in Xian, Shaanxi province, shows the recruit, Zhang Wu handling a live grenade, but then let it slip through his fingers rather than throwing it.

Zhang was nervous during the drill and his hands were sweating, according to a report in the PLA Daily.

Zhang was unaware after dropping it that the grenade had bounced off a rampart and fallen into the fortifications.

The officer in charge of safety, Wu Binbing, immediately bundled Zhang into a nearby trench and shielded him with his body as the grenade exploded less than a metre away.

After several seconds, they are shown standing up, fortunately unwounded.

Wu then instructs Zhang to leave the area quickly, the video footage shows.

The time between Zhang dropping the grenade and the explosion was less than three seconds.

Live-fire show of force by troops from China’s first overseas military base

“At the moment when the grenade exploded, the squad leader pressed me extremely tightly below him, using his body as a second shelter to protect me. He saved my life,” Zhang was quoted as saying.

Internet users praised the officer for his quick thinking.

“Thumbs up to the officer for saving the soldier’s life,” one person wrote.

Another said: “Such things have happened many times. Why can’t we have some improvement? But I have to give a thumbs up for the officer.”