To keep the stretcher balanced and avoid hitting the cliff wall, rescuers had to back down step by step with their backs to the ground.
The safety rope attached to the stretcher was tied to a large rock at the top of the cliff. For added safety, rescuers also tied themselves to the stretcher.
With every move, the injured suffered great pain. Photo provided by Anyang rescue team
More than 20 people had gathered to climb Mount Taihang in Linzhou when a woman, holding onto a rope, climbed up about 20 meters. Due to inadequate safety measures, she suddenly pulled the person above her who was holding the rope, causing both to fall rapidly. They landed on another teammate below, injuring all three.
Members of the Anyang detachment of the Henan Outdoor Rescue Corps and local firefighters worked together, using methods such as vertical cliff descent, and eventually rescued all three successfully.
Help requested
Two fall off cliff, injure another teammate
At 10:20 a.m. on March 2, the Henan Outdoor Rescue Corps of the One Foundation Rescue Alliance received a distress call reporting that three hikers had been injured in a fall at Maocitizi in Mount Taihang, Linzhou, Anyang, and were requesting assistance.
After a brief understanding of the situation, the corps immediately assigned the nearest Anyang Rescue Detachment and Linzhou Rescue Team to the scene.
“Red Bean,” leader of the Anyang Rescue Detachment, said the route “Goat Horn Ladder – Maocitizi Ladder – Blue Stone Crevice” is a popular climbing path among hikers, and the rescue team is very familiar with it.
Over 20 people had gathered at the scene, with two men and one woman injured. The woman had bleeding on the head, and team members provided her with basic first aid.
It was learned that these 20-plus individuals came from Anyang and Handan, Hebei. They started hiking at 8:30 a.m. that day, first climbing over Goat Horn Ladder, then reaching Maocitizi. This is a cliff about 30 meters high. One team member climbed to the top first and lowered a rope for others to climb up.
A female team member went up first. She carefully climbed upward, grabbing the rope and stepping on the cliff face, while the team member above held the other end of the rope. However, an accident occurred. Due to inadequate protection, the woman suddenly lost her footing, pulling the teammate above her down with her. The two fell about 20 meters and landed directly on another teammate below. All three were immobilized on the spot.
The accident stunned everyone. People rushed over to check, and all three showed signs of fractures with serious injuries. As they could not be moved, help was sought from the fire department and outdoor rescue teams.
Rescue
To avoid delaying treatment, rescuers descend the cliff face
Considering the woman was the most seriously injured, the team decided to rescue her first. There were two options: take a detour or perform a vertical cliff descent.
Vertical cliff descent means the rescuer, carrying the injured person and secured with a safety rope, descends vertically from the top of the cliff to the bottom. But this requires finding anchor points, clearing the cliff face, and setting up protection stations, which takes time. To avoid delaying treatment, the rescue team had several members carry the woman and take a detour through Qianpubian to find a flat path down the mountain.
The other two injured individuals, one with a rib injury unable to lie down and the other with a spinal injury unable to sit, had slightly less severe injuries and were rescued using the vertical cliff descent method.
While looking for anchor points, the team found that the trees at the top of the cliff were too small to secure the safety rope. Fortunately, there were two large rocks where the rope could be looped. The team also cut down two small trees, tied their trunks together, and secured them with rope to create a makeshift stretcher.
“Red Bean” tied the man who couldn’t lie down to himself with a safety rope, holding onto the rope and stepping carefully down the cliff face. To prevent the rope from being cut by the sharp cliff, he cleared dangerous spots in advance.
One step, two steps, three steps… moving slowly and cautiously, stopping and adjusting posture—the whole team held their breath.
Thirty minutes later, the injured person was safely brought down the cliff.
The other injured person, who could lie down, was secured to the makeshift stretcher and escorted by “Guojie Liuke,” deputy leader of the Anyang Rescue Detachment, as they performed a vertical cliff descent.
Unlike carrying a person, bringing down a stretcher is more complicated. The stretcher, suspended in mid-air, had to be prevented from rotating or tipping over after hitting the cliff wall. “Guojie Liuke” faced the cliff, hands protecting the stretcher to prevent it from swaying, slowly releasing the safety rope as they descended.
Several dozen minutes later, they landed safely. By then, it was already 6 p.m.
Progress
All three are out of life-threatening danger
Yesterday, one of the injured, Mr. Wang, said the girl was the most seriously hurt, suffering a clavicle fracture, and has returned to Handan for treatment. Another person suffered a rib fracture, while he himself sustained a spinal fracture, but none of them are in life-threatening condition.
The head of Henan Outdoor Rescue Team, nicknamed “Years Are Silent,” said that with the arrival of spring, warmer weather, and increased travel, accidents have become more frequent, and they have recently received several distress calls. Many people are enthusiastic but lack experience, often finding themselves in difficult situations.