A boy got stuck on a cliff edge while playing around, and a police officer turned into a "Spider-Man" to scale the rocks and save him.
A 12-year-old boy named Xiao Lin was exploring and climbing around carelessly in the Qipanzhai Scenic Area of Minhou when he accidentally rolled down from the mountain peak and became trapped on a cliff edge. Policeman Huang Tingfei from NanYu Police Station in Minhou tied a hemp rope to a tree on the cliff edge, descended along the rope, and turned into a "Spider-Man" to rescue Xiao Lin.
First challenge in the rescue: No path on the dangerous cliff, so they went rock climbing
The Qipanzhai Scenic Area in Nanyu Town, Minhou County, features steep peaks, lush trees, and crystal-clear waters, often frequented by young people who enjoy outdoor adventures. The local police station also frequently receives calls about tourists getting into danger and being trapped.
At around 2 p.m. on December 8, Nanyu Police Station received an emergency call reporting that a young boy was trapped on the cliff edge of the main peak of Qipanzhai, in a very dangerous situation. When Officer Huang Tingfei and his colleagues arrived at the scene, they saw the boy trapped on a cliff edge about 50 meters above the ground. The cliff was steep, and the boy was curled up and too scared to move.
There was no direct path from the foot of the mountain to the cliff. To carry out the rescue, they had to climb up to the mountaintop first and then take a detour to reach the cliff face. “Climbing to the top and then taking a detour to get to the cliff would take at least an hour and a half conservatively. The boy has already been trapped for half an hour, and with the strong winds on the mountain, he could fall off the cliff at any time,” said Huang Tingfei. He and another auxiliary police officer took a small trail toward the mountaintop.
After reaching the mountaintop, Huang Tingfei first called out to the boy to calm him down. He noticed a tree nearby about as thick as a bowl, and came up with a plan. He tied a thick hemp rope as thick as a thumb around the tree, and also brought along a slightly thinner hemp rope. Holding the rope tightly and keeping his feet pressed against the cliff wall, he carefully descended. Soon, he reached the boy, praising him for being brave and calling him a little man.
Second challenge in the rescue: The child had no strength to climb, so he had to be supported by hand
Once the boy’s emotions had stabilized, Huang Tingfei used the thin hemp rope to tie around the boy’s waist, instructing him to hold onto the rope tightly, while using his free right hand to support him from behind and help the child climb upward. Since the boy was exhausted, Huang had to support him entirely on his own. The cliff was over 50 meters above the ground, and they were rock climbing with the help of the hemp rope, almost like "Spider-Man" swinging between skyscrapers in an American blockbuster. Ten minutes later, the two safely reached the mountaintop.
The boy’s mother tearfully hugged her unharmed son and repeatedly thanked Huang Tingfei. It is understood that the boy, surnamed Lin, is 12 years old. He had come with relatives from out of town to visit the Qipanzhai Scenic Area over the weekend. While playing around, he climbed carelessly, slipped down from the mountain peak, and became trapped on the cliff edge. After not seeing her son, the mother asked fellow travelers to help search. After searching for half an hour with no results, they called the police.
The Minhou police remind the public that when taking children on outings, they should always pay attention to their every move, ensure they are never out of sight, and preferably stay close together to avoid danger. In case of an emergency, call the police immediately. (Reported by our reporter Gui Dan, correspondent Rao Yongjia, text/photos)