Following the incidents of travelers getting into danger at Sanya’s Xiaodonghai Beach and adventurers illegally entering the Xisha Islands, yet another case of independent travelers being stranded has occurred in Hainan. In the early hours of January 13, 54 tourists went missing and were trapped on a mountain in Tongguling Tourist Area, Longlou Town, Wenchang City, Hainan. Subsequently, police officers, firefighters, and border guards from Wenchang joined forces in a search and rescue operation. After several hours of effort, they successfully rescued all the stranded tourists.
Recently, a series of incidents where independent travelers got stranded in Hainan have sparked widespread concern and discussion.
Viewpoint 1: Hold irresponsible travelers accountable after rescue
Of course, when such incidents occur, rescuing people is the top priority—there’s no doubt about that, and no one would deny it. But the issue is, when similar violations and disregard for how one’s actions can trouble public departments—and even cause unnecessary losses—keep happening, it’s hard not to feel indignant: why can those people just go home as if nothing happened afterward, with no one holding them accountable? If everyone acted on their own whims and trespassed into restricted areas as they pleased, what would be the point of public rules?
Viewpoint 2: Rescue is not a “free-for-all”—rescued individuals need to reflect on themselves
While waiting for rescue, some netizens casually lament “three guarantees and three non-responsibilities,” but do they realize how many people were worried about them? Do they understand the real challenges faced during rescue operations? Do they know how much their so-called romantic adventure actually costs? With a casual sigh, shouldn’t they reflect on themselves?
Viewpoint 3: Rescuing stranded Sanya travelers is necessary, but legislation for accountability is even more crucial
Currently, simple criticism and condemnation have proven ineffective in curbing the reckless behavior of some travelers, and the principle that “those who create danger should bear the responsibility” is also an international consensus and common practice for similar rescue situations. From both perspectives, the relevant authorities in Sanya could consider taking the lead in introducing local regulations to quickly standardize the determination of responsibility in exploration rescues and the sharing of rescue costs, as well as to recover the social resources wasted in rescue efforts.