Kristine asked me why that man walked the way he did, with his back stooped low. No sooner after her question, the man fell forward, with his knees curled up and forehead on the ground. Grace and I froze for a few seconds as the man stayed stationary on the ground. No passers by stopped to take a look. This is a busy road under the mid-section of East 4th Ring Road. I went over, knelt down and looked at him. His face was dark tanned and heavily wrinkled. He was still breathing. Sigh of relief. I then asked "Whats wrong?" (你怎么啦？). After a few heavy breath, he spoke out. I could manage just two msgs:
1. I am ill
2. They (presumably his relatives or caretakers) don't care anymore
3. gibberish and gibberish that I could not decipher.
I then ask him if I should call the police over to help him. He replied very clearly agreeing to call the local police for help. I was half expecting him to say he was hungry and homeless and asked me for money. He didn't.
Grace then call 110. Call was swiftly connected. Grace was asked about the problem and the location. The operator was very familiar with the location vicinity. Either the operator was nearby in the same locale, or she could track the mobile phone call location on her Beijing map. She told Grace the local police will be contacted to pick up the old man. Roughly 10 minutes later, a police officer called Grace's mobile to verify the situation and location. Another 9 minutes later, 3 police in a patrol car came. The lead officer asked Grace if she was the one who called. After a brief Q&A, they picked the old man up and drove off.
19 minutes from time of lodging an emergency call to arrival of emergency personnel. I thought that was rather fast. I once had to call for an ambulance for a friend in Melbourne. I recall it took about the same time for the ambulance to arrive.
No camera, thus no photos attached.
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