The night before last, firefighters rescued an injured hiker on Mount General’s Village in Mentougou, having to slide down steep areas. Photo courtesy of Yongding Squadron of Mentougou Fire Brigade
On the afternoon of October 27, two hikers exploring caves in the mountainous area of Mentougou District had one of them fall over 20 meters down a slope, severely injuring their waist. Upon receiving the distress call, rescuers from Beijing Civil Defense Haotian Rescue Team and firefighters from Yongding Squadron of Mentougou Fire Brigade arrived at the scene. By 10:45 p.m. that evening, the injured hiker was successfully brought down the mountain and promptly sent to the hospital for treatment.
Hiker Injured and Trapped in the Mountains
According to rescuers, around 1:30 p.m. on the 27th, two middle-aged men entered Mount General’s Village at Zhongliang Academy to explore caves. When they reached a cliff near Longquanwu, a 48-year-old man’s foot stepped on a branch that suddenly snapped, causing him to fall about 20 meters down the slope and sustain serious injuries to his waist.
According to firefighters, the two were hikers who had entered the mountains to search for ancient caves dating back to the Liao Dynasty. “Although they were equipped with professional gear, the injured hiker was immobile after the fall and had to call for help,” a rescuer said.
Nie Jianliang, head of Beijing Civil Defense Haotian Rescue Team, said that at 3:30 p.m., upon receiving the hikers’ distress call, the rescue team immediately dispatched 13 members to assist. “We split into two teams to carry out the rescue,” Nie said. After arriving in the mountainous area, the first team headed up the mountain to locate the trapped hikers based on the coordinates and information provided, while the other team waited at the foot of the mountain to enter with the firefighters.
Steep Mountain Paths Increased Rescue Difficulty
At 5:25 p.m., the firefighters arrived in the mountainous area. By then, it was getting dark, which greatly increased the difficulty of the rescue. “The mountain is extremely steep, the path is full of tree holes, and moving around at night is very difficult.” Realizing the challenge of the rescue, the firefighters carried multi-functional stretchers, immobilization airbags, safety ropes, carabiners, high-powered flashlights, and other rescue equipment, and ascended the mountain under the guidance of the rescue team to save the trapped individuals.
The firefighters explained that by around 7 p.m. that evening, the team reached the location of the injured hiker. Due to the severity of the injuries, the hiker was unable to move. The firefighters used an immobilization airbag to secure the injured person’s waist to prevent further harm, and fastened the person to a multi-functional stretcher with safety ropes to ensure they would not fall off during the descent.
After completing the preparatory measures, the firefighters found that due to the steepness of certain sections, they could not carry the injured person down. They had to place the stretcher on the ground and slide down the steep areas with the help of rescuers pulling from the front and back.
Three hours later, thanks to the joint efforts of the rescue team and firefighters, the injured hiker was successfully brought down the mountain and promptly sent to the hospital. The injured person is now out of life-threatening condition.