Rescued after more than three hours
Recently, Xiao Chen (a pseudonym), a young man working in Guangzhou, and his female colleague set out “lightly equipped” to climb Xiniujiao Mountain located on Shatai North Road in Baiyun District. After nightfall, the two became trapped in the mountains and had no choice but to call the police for help. Fortunately, search and rescue personnel arrived promptly and, after more than three hours of effort...
Trapped in a quarry with no way out
At around 5:00 p.m. on December 21, Xiao Chen and a female colleague, carrying only their mobile phones and flashlights, “lightly equipped” climbed Xiniujiao Mountain. Due to their unfamiliarity with the mountain’s terrain, they took the wrong route up the mountain. Coupled with extremely steep sections both ascending and descending, their physical exertion was high, and the two soon realized they were trapped in an abandoned quarry in the mountains. As night fell, visibility became increasingly poor and the mountain winds were bone-chilling. The quarry was still 20 to 30 meters from the mountaintop. Despite multiple attempts, the two remained stuck with no way forward or back, and had no choice but to call for help.
At 10:40 p.m., Lu Kuizhong, instructor of the Yunjing Squadron, led four firefighters into Xiniujiao Mountain to carry out the search and rescue mission. Lu Kuizhong said that after learning about the situation, he had personnel on standby in the vehicle deliver ropes and backup drinking water up the mountain, while assigning others to provide support and gather information about the terrain from local village officials and security personnel.
At 12:10 a.m. the next day, Lu Kuizhong and the other four firefighters reached the mountaintop directly above the trapped individuals. Although they were only 20 meters away from the trapped pair, they were completely unable to see the situation below. Based on the conditions at the scene, the rescuers decided to use a method where they would tie a full-body harness to a safety rope, throw it to the trapped individuals, and then pull them up to the mountaintop. After 15 minutes and three throws, the trapped individuals finally managed to catch the thrown safety rope and full-body harness. After more than three hours of rescue efforts, Xiao Chen and his female colleague were successfully brought to safety.
“Adventure-style” hiking requires caution
“That climb that night was just a spontaneous idea,” Xiao Chen said after being rescued. He and the female colleague happened to pass by Xiniujiao Mountain, and when he suggested hiking, she happily agreed. The two chose not to take the usual paths, instead opting for an obscure trail rarely traveled by people. Fire department authorities revealed that the main cause of the incident was the two youths embarking on an “adventure-style” hike on their own, reminding the public to carefully choose hiking destinations and to ensure proper self-protection. (Reporter Zhang DanYang, correspondent Yang Ruirong)