Zhang Lianhai, a 60-year-old from Linqing, went missing during a family trip to Beijing over the “National Day” holiday last year. Despite an extensive search by his family, he was eventually rescued by the Boxing Rescue Station — nearly five months after his disappearance. He has now returned home.
During the “National Day” holiday last year, Zhang Lianhai, along with his wife and daughter, joined a tour group to Xiangshan Mountain in Beijing. He went missing while hiking. Zhang, who had previously suffered a stroke that left lingering effects and affected his speech, became unaccounted for. His wife, along with family members, the tour agency, and local police, searched for him for several days, but there was no sign of Zhang Lianhai.
Zhang Lianhai has vague memories of the days he was lost. He said he first wandered to Tianjin, where he was held by a construction foreman, then sent to work in a very remote and cold place. Due to his poor physical condition, he couldn’t work and was eventually taken back to Tianjin and released. He remained missing until February 23, when he was rescued by the Boxing Rescue Station.
Staff from the Boxing Civil Affairs Bureau explained that at noon on February 23, rescue station workers received a call reporting the discovery of an elderly man suspected to be disabled in downtown Boxing, asking for assistance. The elderly man had no identification and spoke unclearly, but could be understood to utter words like “Linqing.” Based on the limited information provided by the man, Boxing Civil Affairs Bureau staff posted a missing person notice online. Shortly after the notice went up, the man’s granddaughter saw it online and confirmed that the elderly man was her grandfather — Zhang Lianhai, who had been missing for nearly five months.