Frequent mountaineering accidents lead to serious waste of rescue resources

　　At around 8 p.m. on April 6, four members of the Shibote Rescue Team from the city's lifesaving association were originally on their way to the Juling Scenic Area of Laoshan Mountain to search for six trapped university students. Just as they were about to get into the vehicle and depart, they were suddenly notified that someone else was trapped on Fushan Mountain and needed several team members to provide support...

　　Four members of the rescue team, Mao Mao and another teammate, first ascended the mountain from a junction near Luxin Changchun Garden. Having spoken with the person on the mountain earlier by phone, they were told that after staying on the mountain for too long, it had gotten dark and they couldn’t find the way down. The person on the phone mentioned they could see the sea and vaguely make out the expressway. Having wandered across several hilltops and lost their sense of direction, the person’s phone then ran out of battery after one call.

　　To ensure no hilltop was missed, the four split into two groups and searched along the hilltops from east to west. Just as they were nearing the westernmost part of Fushan Mountain, they grew puzzled as to why they hadn’t yet found anyone. That’s when they heard shouting and saw lights coming from the mountainside. After checking via walkie-talkie, they learned that the trapped individuals might have spotted the steps leading down the mountain and had already made their way to the mountainside—where they were fortuitously encountered by patrolling police officers. As a result, the rescue team members had searched the mountain for nothing.

　　At just after 8 a.m. on April 6, Mr. Qu, who works at Dongjiagang in the former Jiaonan area, called 110 to report that his mother might be in trouble at home. When he called her that morning, she mentioned feeling discomfort in her heart, but when he called back less than half an hour later, no one answered. It turns out Mr. Qu usually works at his unit in Dongjiagang, while his eighty-something-year-old mother lives in an apartment complex near Jinsong First Road. When Mr. Qu spoke with his elderly mother that morning, she said she felt some discomfort and unease in her heart after waking up.

　　After hanging up the phone, Mr. Qu felt uneasy. About ten minutes later, he called again, but there was still no answer. He tried calling several more times, and although the phone kept ringing, no one picked up—this made him worry that his mother might have suffered a heart attack while home alone. Upon learning of the situation, nearby police officers and an ambulance responded together, going to the address provided by Mr. Qu. After just a few doorbell rings, the door opened, and a young man came out.

　　Upon entering the house and asking around, they learned that the young man was the elderly woman’s nephew and had been staying with her. She had been asleep in the room, and likely hadn’t heard the phone ring. This led Mr. Qu, who was in another city, to think something bad had happened. The doctor checked on the elderly woman and found she was fine, and she also said she would go to the hospital for a check-up once other family members returned.

　　Similarly, not long ago, the Nanjing Road Fire Brigade received an alarm from someone reporting that Yufeng Building on Ningxia Road was on fire. Hearing that a building was on fire, three fire engines rushed to extinguish it—but upon arrival, they saw no signs of smoke outside the building. After going upstairs, firefighters learned from informed sources that it might have been the air-conditioning outdoor unit on the 14th floor that was emitting smoke. The firefighters took fire extinguishers upstairs, located the affected floor, and found that the outdoor unit, likely due to aging and poor maintenance, had become severely rusted and was emitting smoke during operation. A few sprays from the extinguisher resolved the issue.

　　Although the situation was resolved quickly, it turned out that the citizen who made the call may have been overly anxious. Seeing signs of smoke outside the building but not clearly identifying the source, they directly reported it as a building fire. Just a few words made a huge difference, causing significant concern among firefighters. Not a single hose was used—even the ladder truck wasn’t needed—the issue was resolved using just fire extinguishers. Afterwards, firefighters remarked that if the caller had specified it was the outdoor unit on fire, just one vehicle would have sufficed, and there wouldn’t have been such a massive response.

　　“Accidents always have an element of inevitability. There are designated paths in scenic areas, but people want to take risks and explore wild trails instead. They’re unfamiliar with the terrain, get lost, and yet remain calm when calling for help. But from the police and firefighters at the foot of the mountain to the rescue teams, dozens of people end up working late into the night. Unavoidable emergencies are already keeping everyone busy enough—these man-made incidents should be avoided whenever possible,” said Captain Zhao from the city’s lifesaving association, who only began heading back to the city in the early hours of April 7.

　　Reporters learned that in some other countries, emergency hotlines are divided into urgent and non-urgent categories, and privately funded rescue organizations also play a significant role. In China, however, most of these costs are covered by the government, and many rescue teams purchase equipment at their own expense. As for those being rescued, the most they usually offer is a simple thank you after being saved. Although many professionals have previously suggested implementing a post-incident compensation system—where individuals are held financially responsible for rescue operations caused by human error, especially unnecessary public rescues—such suggestions are difficult to implement under the current government-led rescue system.