Untrained and under-equipped, fishermen in Dalian assisted in the oil spill cleanup effort for compensation. While the their efforts made tremendous contributions, they also came at a high cost to health and safety. Cui Zhanyou, the young man who drowned in the oil slick, is the most notable example of the cleanup’s hazards.
Global Times reports on the aftermath for Cui’s family:
Although their search efforts have cost them 20,000 yuan in three weeks, Cui’s family and relatives said they would press on.
[…] Gao declined to say how much money he and Cui made during his short time cleaning up the oil. “We had no time to count it. We just want to find the body.”
The family does hope the government can help shoulder part of the expense. “After all, we helped the government with the cleanup,” Gao said.
A female official from the Dalian Manjiatan township government that administrates Miaoshang village told the Global Times “the government can do nothing to help,” because Cui was not a local resident.
