The woman bitten by the centipede (the one lifting her leg) was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment that night.
Danger: Poisonous centipede bites hiker
Praise: Seven police officers sprint with the injured
Da Nan Mountain sees 40-minute life relay
“Just three or four hundred meters to go, hold on, I’ll take over soon.” This was the most memorable line recalled by Officer Huang Haopeng of the Nanshan Public Security Sub-bureau in the early hours of the 13th. The speaker was Li Ziyuan, deputy head of the Nanshan Training Brigade, while Officer Chen Yangshu beside them had long soaked his police uniform in sweat—he had just carried the injured woman nearly a kilometer down the mountain trail, stumbling and kneeling several times on the dark stairway. For a full 40 minutes, seven on-duty officers from the Nanshan Public Security Sub-bureau took turns carrying the woman, who had been poisoned by the centipede bite and was nearly in shock, running along forest paths on Da Nan Mountain in a moving life relay.
Centipede bite causes breathing difficulties
October 13th was Double Ninth Festival. At 12:50 AM that day, Officer Zhang Chongbin, stationed at the Qitian Pavilion checkpoint on Da Nan Mountain, suddenly saw a woman stumbling down the mountain path in the distance. “Quick, quick, help—someone’s been bitten by a centipede up ahead!” Upon hearing that someone had been poisoned, Zhang Chongbin dashed toward the scene and alerted nearby checkpoints via walkie-talkie. “When I reached Miss Wang, she was leaning on her companion, drenched in sweat from the pain. There were two clear little fang marks on the side of her left little toe, which was already noticeably swollen,” Zhang recalled. According to Wang’s friend, the three were chatting and walking along the hiking trail when Wang suddenly felt something bite her. When they looked down, they saw a several-centimeter-long centipede dart out from under the sole of her left foot. Wang quickly began crying out in pain and showed signs of respiratory distress.
Officers take turns carrying the hiker over the mountain for emergency aid
Zhang Chongbin first helped squeeze some of the venom out of Wang’s wound, then tightly tied her left calf with a shoelace to slow the spread of the poison, before hoisting her onto his back and sprinting toward the navigation station a few hundred meters away. Officer Ye Shenghao, who was stationed a few hundred meters ahead of Zhang, immediately rose to meet them, while Li Ziyuan, deputy head of the training brigade, and Officer Li Wenhong, stationed at the navigation station, also climbed over the hill between them to provide backup.
“We took turns carrying the woman back over the mountain toward the first aid station,” said Li Ziyuan. The first aid station doctor said Wang’s leg had already swollen, she was having trouble breathing, and she might be suffering from combined blood and nerve poisoning. The situation was critical—if she didn’t get to the hospital soon, she could be left disabled or even lose her life. Hearing this, Li Ziyuan immediately reported the situation to the scene command center via walkie-talkie and requested urgent backup from nearby stations. In the quiet night, all checkpoints on Da Nan Mountain received the alert, opening a lifeline. Officers Xiao Danhong, Huang Guangqian, Chen Yangshu, and Huang Haopeng all rushed to the scene.
Giving their all in a desperate sprint
Buying precious time for rescue
Chen Yangshu, recognized by the team as having the best physical fitness, took over the nearly unconscious Wang from Xiao Danhong and Huang Guangqian, then ran at nearly a sprint pace along the mountain path. A few hundred meters later, on the hiking stairs, Chen’s knees gave out several times, causing him to kneel on the stone steps. Enduring the pain and drenched in sweat, he held Wang firmly without letting go. Meanwhile, Deputy Head Li Ziyuan ran alongside, contacting the 120 ambulance. At 1:25 AM, still some distance from the Minghua Mountain entrance, Huang Haopeng at the mountain base took over the woman. “Just three or four hundred meters to go, hold on, I’ll take over soon.” When Li Ziyuan resumed carrying the injured woman, he clearly felt his legs were like lead, unable to move forward. Finally, after safely placing Wang on the 120 stretcher, Li Ziyuan, Huang Haopeng, and Chen Yangshu collapsed heavily to the ground, gasping for breath, too exhausted to speak. The 40-minute life relay run completed by the seven officers late at night saved a full 10 minutes compared to a normal hike the same distance—those crucial 10 minutes bought the most valuable time for the rescue. Hours later, the hospital reported that Wang had received timely treatment and was out of danger.
Friendly reminder
Centipede bites not uncommon
Be cautious when exploring forests and mountains
Dr. Zeng Zhongyi, director of the Emergency Department at the City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, told reporters that cases of centipede bites actually occur frequently in Shenzhen, though the severity of poisoning varies and symptoms differ. When visiting forests or mountains, it’s best to carry topical steroid-based skin creams, wear long pants, sports shoes, and socks, and avoid exposing your feet or lower legs. Also, don’t venture recklessly into untraveled grassy areas. If bitten by a centipede, first rinse the wound with clean water, then apply disinfectant or ointment, and seek medical attention as soon as possible.