A 30-hour life-and-death rescue
The four stranded hikers were all from Quzhou. The day before, they had planned to climb the peak of Yaowangshan Mountain, known as Yaowangshan Shuimenjian. One of them accidentally fell and was seriously injured.
At around 4 p.m. that day, the police received an emergency call. Rescue personnel from the local fire department, public security bureau, and other departments, led by local villagers, set off toward Yaowangshan. The hikers had been climbing Shuimenjian, which stands at an altitude of 1,451.8 meters. The mountain was steep and slippery. “It was very difficult to walk. After half an hour, there was no path ahead,” said a police officer involved in the rescue. Luo Rongfu, a villager who had worked in charcoal burning on the mountain for many years, told the firefighters that the path ahead had been abandoned for years, covered with thorny bushes, and included several steep cliffs. It was extremely dangerous. For ordinary hikers, it would take at least four hours to reach Shuimenjian.
The mountain was densely forested, and most sections could only be traversed by crouching and grabbing branches or sliding down. Mobile phone signals were intermittent. By midnight, the location of the stranded individuals was still unclear. The on-site commander ordered the team to use as few lights as possible to conserve power. At 11:23 p.m., rescuers re-established contact with the stranded group and confirmed their position at 28°45'2" N, 118°56'56" E. Though their location was clear, the vast mountains and deep darkness offered no definite route.
After walking for two hours, Luo Rongfu said the stranded individuals might be just below the nearby cliff. Together, they shouted loudly. Suddenly, they heard a faint response from the stranded hikers, but due to the mountain’s echo, they still couldn’t pinpoint their exact location.
By then, the rescuers had been marching continuously for about 10 hours, with only two lights remaining. Each person had only one or two biscuits left. After discussing with the guide, the firefighters decided to take a break on-site and resume the search at dawn.
In the deep mountains at night, the temperature dropped lower and lower. Most of the firefighters involved in the rescue had rushed to the scene straight from training and were only wearing two layers of clothing. They kept rubbing their hands and stamping their feet. Those who couldn’t fight off sleep huddled together around the fire, sleeping in their clothes.
At 6:32 a.m., the sky gradually brightened. Based on his analysis, villager Luo Rongfu led the rescuers to climb Shuimenjian again.
At 8:26 a.m., the four stranded individuals were finally found. The injured hiker was trapped under a dried-up waterfall and unable to move. Firefighters secured a rescue rope, and Commander Shao Yanghui, along with another team member, descended with food and medicine.
The injured hiker, surnamed Yao, had hurt his ankle. Originally, the four hikers had planned to return to camp before dark the previous day. But when they rappelled to the second level of the dried-up waterfall, they found they could go no further. While searching for a new direction, the hiker surnamed Yao accidentally fell off the cliff.
At 10:35 a.m., rescuers carried the injured hiker on a stretcher to a relatively flat pile of rocks. Faced with an 8-meter-high, nearly 90-degree cliff, the exhausted and hungry rescuers, who were understaffed, had to pause and devise a new rescue plan. Around 11 a.m., the second batch of rescuers—firefighters from the Special Service Squadron of the Keshan Fire Brigade—arrived at the scene. After various efforts, the team members carried the injured person on their backs and slowly pulled them up the cliff.
Because they had to carry the stretcher down the mountain, two guides went ahead and hacked out a path with machetes, laboriously transferring the injured person downhill. After 3 p.m., a large number of police officers joined the firefighters, taking turns carrying the stranded individuals down the mountain. After 30 hours of non-stop rescue efforts, the four stranded hikers were finally safely brought down the mountain by 10 p.m. on the 9th, and the injured hiker was taken to the hospital.
For this rescue operation, the Quzhou City Fire Brigade deployed over 50 firefighters from three fire stations—Qujiang, Special Service, and Kecheng. In addition, more than 100 local police officers and villagers were also organized to assist in the search.
Off the beaten path, unable to find the way back
According to statistics from the Wenzhou Fire Department, in the past two years, the Wenzhou Fire Brigade has been involved in 36 rescue operations for stranded hikers, not including rescues by public security or forestry departments. It is reported that the Wenzhou Fire Brigade has specially equipped its rescue stations with mountain rescue gear such as multifunctional stretchers and climbing ropes to address these unique rescue scenarios. The Wen Cheng County Fire Brigade, which covers a large forested area, has even established a professional mountain rescue task force to handle emergencies.
The fire department’s comprehensive analysis shows that hikers often get stranded due to unfamiliarity with the terrain and inadequate preparation, leading to getting lost after blind hiking. Others fail to monitor local weather conditions and get trapped during heavy rain. Some lack self-protection awareness, panic when encountering danger, and lose their way in the chaos.
Reporters learned that currently, many “hiking groups” in China organize outdoor activities by posting online to gather members, who then form teams spontaneously. Due to the randomness of these groups, there is even less professional guidance in choosing teammates, equipping gear, registering information, or planning routes, which further increases the risks of “hiking adventures.”
Off the beaten path, unable to find the way back—the most common action among hikers is to call 110 or 119 for help. Life is priceless. To save the lives of adventurers, every time hikers get into trouble, whether it’s the police, fire department, or other government or civilian rescue organizations, they all actively participate in the rescue efforts.
Reporters noted that hiker rescues often require the mobilization of public resources. As a result, almost every time an accident occurs, while society expresses concern for the stranded hikers, it also sparks debates over “who should pay for hiker rescues” and “whether rescues waste public resources.”
Who foots the rescue bill?
A staff member from the Wenzhou Fire Brigade told reporters that some costs in rescue operations are intangible and it’s impossible to calculate the exact expenditure of a single rescue. “How much are these hours and manpower worth? It’s really hard to put a number on it.”
Lawyer Sun Qin believes that rescue is the government’s responsibility and an obligation it must fulfill during public crises. The costs should naturally be borne by government departments. However, if the rescued individual engaged in “illegal” behavior during outdoor activities, they can be penalized according to relevant laws and regulations. “This should not be confused with charging for rescue services.”
“From a legal standpoint, those rescued do not have to bear the costs incurred by civilian rescue forces during rescue operations,” Sun Qin said, because rescue activities are not commercial endeavors. Civilian rescuers should anticipate the costs involved and are acting voluntarily. However, morally speaking, the rescued individuals may choose to compensate rescuers for some of the costs.
Citizen Wang Shiqing believes that when people’s lives are at risk, the government indeed needs to step in. But for hiker rescues, could a fee-based, professional, socialized rescue team be established? “Public resources are limited after all. This approach could serve as a deterrent to hikers who recklessly waste social resources, encouraging them to think twice before acting.”
Reporters learned that as a way of self-fulfillment, mountain climbing and exploration are not uncommon abroad. In foreign countries, when hikers who violate regulations get into danger, the government will immediately dispatch rescue teams to search, but once rescued, the individuals will face severe penalties.
As adventure travel becomes a trend, the number of accidents and rescues will surely increase. Many netizens suggest that in addition to reminding hikers to improve their risk-avoidance abilities, violations in outdoor sports must be penalized. “Only then can it serve as a deterrent.”