At around 22:30 on February 6, a rescue team spotted three of the stranded hikers. Around 23:30, a second rescue team carrying water and food joined up with the first team and the trapped individuals. At approximately 3:00 AM on February 7, the three trapped hikers were successfully rescued and brought to safety.
Xinhua News Agency, Nanchang, February 7 (Wang Jian, Su Lucheng, Wang Dongcai) According to police in Yanshan County, Jiangxi Province, on the afternoon of February 7, six hikers who had been trapped in the virgin forest of the Wuyi Mountains in Jiangxi were found by rescuers on the evening of February 6 and the morning of February 7, respectively, and were escorted to Yanshan County town.
Six Hikers Trapped on a “Five-Star Self-Inflicted Hardship” Route
According to police reports, at around 13:00 on February 6, authorities in Yanshan County received orders from their superiors that six hikers (five men and one woman) were trapped on Dushuzhen Peak in the Wuyi Mountains within Yanshan County, Jiangxi, and requested full-scale search and rescue efforts.
It is understood that among the six hikers, two are from Shanghai and four are from Nanchang, Jiangxi. The mountain they were climbing is Dushuzhen, the second highest peak on the southeast mainland, standing at 2,129 meters above sea level.
Dushuzhen is located on the western side of Huanggang Mountain, known as the “highest peak on the southeast mainland,” within Yanshan County, Jiangxi Province. Due to its high elevation, dense forests, and treacherous paths, the area is rarely visited and has been hailed by hikers as a “five-star classic self-inflicted hardship route.”
On the afternoon of February 4, the six hikers began climbing Dushuzhen from Xikeng Village in Wuyishan Town, Yanshan County, and set up camp at an altitude of about 1,000 meters. On February 5, the group reached the summit but got lost twice during their descent, forcing them to return to the summit and camp again.
Early on February 6, the six decided to change course and descend toward Xuejiavillage in Wuyishan Town, Yanshan County. Along the way, their mobile phone signal was restored, and they immediately sent out distress signals to Shanghai and Nanchang.
At around 16:00 that afternoon, Qian, one of the hikers, suffered a recurrence of stomach problems, while his nephew Zhao injured his knee, which began bleeding profusely. The others provided hemostatic and anti-inflammatory medications for treatment and bandaging. After discussion, the group decided that three hikers in better physical condition would descend to seek help, while the other three would stay behind at the summit awaiting rescue. Due to darkness and rain, they lost their bearings, and by 1:00 AM on February 7, the three were trapped halfway down the mountain.
By then, the temperature had dropped below freezing. With no food or water, the three were extremely fatigued and decided to camp where they were and wait for rescue.
Over 100 police, firefighters, and village officials join the mountain search
Police reported that after learning the hikers were trapped in the mountains within Huangb She Autonomous Township in the Wuyi Mountains, local authorities immediately set up a rescue command center. Over 100 personnel from the fire brigade, patrol special police unit, and village and township officials from Wuyishan Town and Huangb She Autonomous Township, led by locals familiar with the terrain, began ascending the mountain to conduct search operations.
The rescue teams were divided into two groups, targeting Dushuzhen and searching along two local routes. At 21:00 on the evening of February 6, the first rescue team spotted lights from the trapped hikers on the mountain and immediately made contact. Around 22:30, three of the hikers were found.
At around 23:30 on February 6, the second rescue team, carrying water and food, joined up with the first team and the trapped individuals. By this time, strong winds had picked up in the mountains, heavy rain had begun, and thick fog was gradually rising.
After confirming that the remaining three trapped individuals were safe and had adequate water, the rescuers and the three found hikers immediately began descending. At around 3:00 AM on February 7, the three trapped hikers were successfully rescued and brought to safety.
All six hikers rescued, thank rescuers
After a brief rest, at around 6:00 AM on February 7, the rescuers headed to Huanggangshan Town on the other side of the mountain, preparing to ascend from that side to search for the remaining three individuals. At around 8:00 AM that day, rescue personnel started climbing from Huanggangshan Town, Yanshan County, Jiangxi, and after more than two hours of searching, found the three hikers at 10:15 AM.
At around 11:00 AM that day, rescuers successfully evacuated the three hikers to a safe area at the foot of the mountain. With this, all six trapped hikers were successfully rescued, bringing the 15-hour-long rescue operation to an end.
According to reports, at a media briefing held in Yanshan County at 14:00 on February 7, the six rescued hikers expressed gratitude for the full-scale rescue efforts by the Yanshan County Party Committee and County Government. (End)