On June 24, six hikers trekking over the Duoxiongla Snow Mountain encountered a sudden landslide. Four tourists were engulfed by a mudslide. The soldiers from the "Model Border Garrison Battalion of Medog," who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, carried out a 50-minute life-or-death rescue and successfully led the trapped tourists to safety.
"People's Liberation Army, help!" At 17:55 on June 24, two tourists ran breathlessly to the Liberation Bridge and sought help from the bridge guards of the Model Border Garrison Battalion of Medog. A major landslide had occurred about four kilometers from the bridge. As the group of six hikers attempted to force their way through, four were suddenly engulfed by a collapsing mudslide and became stuck in the mud, unable to move and at risk of being swept into the Yarlung Tsangpo River by the mudslide...
Their lives were hanging by a thread, and danger was imminent. To buy time for the rescue, Deputy Instructor Wei Haitao selected six party member cadres to form a rescue team. They swiftly set off carrying more than 20 kilograms of rescue equipment, including walkie-talkies, safety ropes, stretchers, and first aid supplies. The mule path built halfway up the mountain was muddy and slippery due to the rain, with an uphill climb all the way and rocks frequently rolling down from the mountaintop. Regardless of their own safety, the rescuers raced against time to reach the accident site.
At 18:25, the rescue team arrived at the scene. The four tourists were trapped on a cliff dozens of meters deep from the road surface, with a slope of about 70 degrees. The rain was getting heavier, and the soft soil, washed away by the heavy rain, continuously formed mudslides of various sizes sliding downward, increasing the difficulty of the rescue. The four tourists were physically exhausted, and seeing the falling rocks, two female tourists lost control of their emotions and burst into loud sobs. Rescue team leader Wei Haitao quickly dispatched two observers to talk to them, stabilize their emotions while organizing the rescue.
Tourist Dong Zhaohui clung to a tree branch with both hands, his legs dangling as he stared at the surging river below, his legs trembling nonstop. The rescue team first threw a safety rope to him, and four soldiers worked together to pull him to safety. The other three trapped tourists had their shins buried by the mudslide and were soaked in mud and water, unable to move. The rescuers connected backpack straps one by one to create a long lifeline, which they tied around the waists of two soldiers who went forward to carry out the rescue. They slowly lowered the rope toward the trapped tourists. Sergeant Fang Yongchao and soldier Feng Jinwu, who were closest to the trapped individuals, simultaneously reached out with both hands and grabbed the nearest tourist, Lü Jinling, pulling her out of the mud like pulling a radish. But before they could steady themselves, the rescuers at the front and back began to sink. Team leader Wei Haitao shouted: "Hold on tight, don't let go!" The soldiers gripped the backpack rope tightly and managed to drag both the rescuers and Lü Jinling back to safety.
At 18:45, the four tourists were successively rescued. By then, exactly 50 minutes had passed since the soldiers received the distress call. Before they could even catch their breath, more scattered rocks rained down from the mountain. Boom!! A deafening roar came from behind — the hillside where the rescue had just taken place had collapsed halfway, with hundreds of cubic meters of mudslide rushing down the gully and instantly forming a 10-meter-wide ravine. Both the rescuers and the trapped tourists were left horrified. "Had we been ten minutes later, the consequences would have been unimaginable..." everyone sighed.
"Thank goodness you arrived in time; otherwise, we would have been swept into the turbulent Yarlung Tsangpo River by the mudslide." The four tourists who narrowly escaped death wept tears of joy.
Beautiful Medog