On the evening of August 4, 23 exploratory “travel buddies” who went missing in the Huangniuyan mountain area of the Xiling Gorge on the Yangtze River due to heavy rain were successfully rescued without any injuries. Behind this lucky escape was a rescue operation lasting over 30 hours by a team of more than 100 people, including the local public security bureau and fire brigade.
However, not all tourists are so fortunate. Since May this year, Wei Daonian, a “travel buddy” from Guangxi, died in an avalanche on Mount Meili; female “travel buddy” Zou Li perished in a sudden flash flood in Piaojiangou, Guizhou; in June, Mr. Zhang, a “travel buddy” from Xi’an, died while crossing from Shaanxi’s Ao Mountain to Taibai Mountain; also in June, Shanghai “travel buddy” Xu Guang went missing in the Hemu area of Kanas in northern Xinjiang and has been unaccounted for to this day...
Every time such tragic news comes, we hope it will be the last, yet misfortunes keep happening and are getting worse.
In recent years, with the growing popularity of outdoor sports, the community of self-guided and independent enthusiasts has also been expanding. They are vividly referred to as “travel buddies.” However, at the same time, incidents of missing persons and accidents have frequently made headlines, raising concerns. According to statistics from the “2012 Overview of Mountain Disasters on the Chinese Mainland” released by the Chinese Mountaineering Association, the cumulative number of outdoor sports fatalities from 2001 to 2011 was 190. In 2012 alone, the number reached 41, the highest on record.
Such frequent accidents have not stopped “travel buddies.” People can’t help but ask, what is making “travel buddies” repeatedly become “tragedy buddies”?
The primary reason is insufficient preparation before the trip. It is not hard to see that among the frequent accidents, “man-made disasters” outnumber “natural disasters”: overestimating one’s physical strength and outdoor experience, lacking essential gear... Many “travel buddies” believe in “our goal is the frontiers, our challenge is the unknown.” Ignorance breeds fearlessness, and many only have visions of pristine mountains and blooming flowers in remote places, but fail to see the life-threatening storms, snow, floods, and beasts ahead.
Secondly, after accidents occur, travel buddies often lack self-rescue capabilities. When venturing into uninhabited areas, carrying satellite phones and preparing survival tools is the most basic safety measure. Otherwise, when in danger, being unable to call for help and powerless to save themselves, tragedies naturally occur.
In fact, such accidents are entirely preventable. As long as relevant government departments establish and improve corresponding laws and regulations, halt non-standard and unsafe outdoor activities; or set up conspicuous warning signs in dangerous areas and penalize “travel buddies” who enter illegally; or in terms of rescue, have government and civilian professional rescue organizations work together to ensure immediate response when accidents happen. These measures can effectively prevent “travel buddies” from becoming “tragedy buddies.”
And most crucially, every “travel buddy” should strengthen their self-protection awareness, act within their capabilities, always keep the word “responsibility” in mind, and avoid being stubborn “mules” driven blindly by ideals and impulses. Bear in mind that when “travel buddies” get into danger, they also put rescuers at risk. In 2010, Fudan University students got lost in a rainy night on Huangshan Mountain. Although all 18 students were eventually rescued, one police officer involved in the rescue fell off a cliff and died. Public opinion was in an uproar, with widespread condemnation of the students’ lack of responsibility awareness.
We should all remember: exploration can indeed add color to life, but life should never be the price of adventure.