On the evening of the 23rd, 13 hikers got lost while climbing Mount Yuntai in Jiaozuo, Henan. Unfamiliar with the trails and without any flashlights or lighting gear, the group was stranded in the mountains for seven hours. Fortunately, they were eventually rescued by firefighters.
At 19:34 on the 23rd, the Xiuwu County Fire Brigade in Jiaozuo received an emergency call reporting that 13 hikers were trapped in the western mountain area of Mount Yuntai and requesting rescue.
By 20:30 that evening, firefighters arrived at Canping Village. Due to the steep mountain paths, vehicles could not go further, so rescuers decided to hike up the mountain to reach the stranded hikers. They also enlisted the help of local mountain residents to guide them to the location of the trapped group.
Along the way, firefighters tried to contact the hikers using shouts and lights, but none of these methods worked. After more than an hour, rescuers finally made phone contact with the hikers. With the assistance of power department personnel, they pinpointed the exact location where the 13 hikers were trapped. The hikers said over the phone that several among them were already exhausted.
Because it was nighttime and the mountain paths were rugged, the rescue operation faced significant challenges. After nearly two hours of searching, the rescuers finally located the stranded group. Upon arrival, although some individuals were somewhat fatigued, all 13 hikers were in good health. After receiving some food, the rescuers escorted the hikers back down.
At around 2 a.m. on the 24th, firefighters safely led the 13 stranded individuals to a secure area.
According to Ma Shuai, a local rescue commander, the 13 hikers were all members of a club in Jiaozuo City who had taken advantage of the weekend to climb Mount Yuntai. Due to being unfamiliar with the route, they took a wrong turn while descending, which led to them getting lost. With night falling and none of the 13 carrying any lighting tools, they had no choice but to call for help.