How worthy is a human life? Plenty would say it's invaluable, but few are willing to pay the price to save a life in jeopardy. For Xu Qiankai, it's a nonnegotiable matter – getting a stranger's life out of the danger zone is precious enough to cost him a body part.

The 29-year-old train conductor in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, has saved a woman with hearing impairment who was crossing a railway track as a train was approaching, but lost his right leg while doing so.

A train conductor at work. /Photo via Chongqing Evening Newspaper 

Xu was carrying shunting operations as usual on Thursday afternoon, not knowing that things were going to take a turn for the worse. He noticed an elderly woman appearing in sight as the speeding train inched closer towards her. She was 10 meters away, and decelerating the train was out of the question.

The young man pressed the emergency stop button right away, and attempted to grab the woman's attention by shouting at the top of his lungs and whistling – but the lady showed no reaction and kept moving along the track.

Even during an emergency brake, the train would still lurch forward for at least 50 meters at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour before coming to a full stop – by then, the tragedy would have happened.

Photo via Chongqing Evening Newspaper

With no time to weigh the consequences, Xu jumped off the train and reached out to the old woman, pushing her away from the track and guaranteeing she lives to see another day.

It was a close call, at least for her.

Xu, on the other hand, was not able to get his right leg away in time. It was smashed by the running train.

In just five seconds, the lives of two strangers changed.

Surveillance camera shows that while Xu was lying on the ground in pain, he was still checking on the lady to make sure she is not harmed.

Moreover, the man did not forget to hand over his communication device and a bunch of keys to another co-worker when the ambulance arrived.

Photo via Chongqing Evening Newspaper

Xu was taken to the hospital, where doctors amputated his leg.

However, all is not lost. The 65-year-old woman, whom Xu helped get a new lease on life, visited him to show appreciation and gratitude. 

She was pictured kneeling down before his hospital bed in a touching gesture.

Photo via Chongqing Evening Newspaper

“I have no regrets losing a leg to save a life,” said Xu, who confessed he feels guilt towards his parents as he is their only child.

Photo via Chongqing Evening Newspaper

According to his father, who also worked for a railway company, Xu was a military veteran and recently transferred back to work at Rongchang Station of Chengdu Railway Bureau, just to be closer to his family and take care of them.

Photo via Chongqing Evening Newspaper

A placard reading “No walking, sitting or lying on the railway track” can be seen at the station, and an overpass lies about 150 meters away from where the accident took place.

“Many have turned a blind eye on the dangers of crossing railway tracks,” said Bai Ying, Deputy Director of the station. “It’s always too late to regret it.”

Photo via Chongqing Evening Newspaper