A routine food delivery turned into a dramatic rescue when a university student spotted six digits scrawled on a blood-stained pillow and realised it was a desperate plea for help. The incident unfolded on August 12 in Leshan, Sichuan province in southwestern China, where a young woman had been trapped inside her bedroom for more than a full day.
The delivery driver, surnamed Zhang, was making his usual rounds when he noticed something unusual near a residential complex. A white pillow lay on the roadside, smeared with a dark red substance and marked with the numbers “110 625.” The sight was unsettling, and Zhang immediately concluded that someone might be in danger. Without hesitation, he called the authorities.
Authorities were able to trace the pillow to a homestay on the 25th floor of a nearby building, reported the South China Morning Post. The numbers on the pillow corresponded to the floor and unit, making the location identifiable.
Initially fearing a violent crime or kidnapping, police officers arriving on the scene found the door to the homestay locked. After repeated knocks and attempts to gain entry, they were forced to break down the door.
Inside, they found the owner, a woman named Zhou, who had been trapped for 30 hours.
She told them that the ordeal began while she was cleaning her apartment. A sudden gust of wind had slammed the bedroom door shut, and a broken latch left her completely locked in. Her phone was in another room, leaving her unable to call for help.
Over the course of the next 30 hours, Zhou tried every possible way to attract attention.
She kicked and banged on the door, stamped her feet, and jumped around, hoping neighbours would notice. She even hung a red suit out of the window and dropped foam boards to the street below to no avail.
With dehydration and exhaustion setting in, she was forced into a final act of desperation. Using her own blood, she scrawled “110 625” on a white pillow and tossed it out the window.
Thanks to Zhang’s quick thinking and keen observation, help arrived just in time.
Zhou said: “When the police broke down the door, I was as excited as if I were seeing family.”
She attempted to reward Zhang with 1,000 yuan (just over £100), but he politely declined. Zhou said she was deeply moved by his selflessness, describing it as a “warmth of society” she would never forget.
Zhang’s employer recognised his courage and integrity, awarding him the title of Pioneer Rider and a small monetary reward. Social media was quick to laud his actions, with users praising the delivery driver’s sharp eye and sense of responsibility.
One commenter on Weibo said: “He could have simply delivered the food, but instead he noticed something was wrong and acted immediately.”
