Photo of the rescue scene
At around 2 p.m. on the 24th, at the foot of the Twelve Peaks Scenic Area in Daruoyan Town, Yongjia, seven trapped elderly people finally walked out of the forest with the help of rescuers.
At around 5 p.m. on May 23, the Yongjia public security department received a distressing emergency call: seven elderly people from Lucheng District, Wenzhou, had gotten lost while hiking in the Twelve Peaks Scenic Area of Daruoyan. The youngest among them was 67 years old, the oldest 76. All were hiking enthusiasts who had started their hike around 9 a.m. that morning but failed to come back down as night fell.
After receiving the report, local authorities quickly organized police, firefighters, and several rescue teams to launch a search and rescue mission. Due to uncertainty about the hikers' location and the steep mountain paths, it wasn't until around 10:30 p.m. that rescuers roughly pinpointed their position. With the help of local villagers, the rescue team split into four groups to advance into the forest. The mountain trails grew narrower and narrower, blocked by dense thorny bushes. The ground, shaded year-round, was covered in moss, and eventually there were no distinguishable paths. Rescuers had to hack through with machetes and people frequently slipped. For safety, everyone tied themselves together with ropes, shouting as they searched for a way forward.
At 3:10 a.m. on the 24th, amid rain, one rescue team successfully located the seven trapped elderly. The seniors appeared somewhat disoriented and were extremely fatigued, but none were seriously injured. Considering the dangerous mountain terrain and their physical state, the rescuers decided to wait until daylight to begin the descent. At 5 a.m., as dawn broke, the team began leading the elderly down the mountain but got lost again. By then, due to lack of food and severe exhaustion, the seniors could no longer walk. At 8 a.m., a second batch of more than ten rescuers, carrying emergency food and clothing, headed back up the mountain. After more than four hours of trekking, they finally reunited with the elderly. The rescuers provided the seniors with food and water to restore their energy, enabling them to continue slowly. By around 3 p.m., all the elderly had safely descended the mountain.
According to one of the trapped elderly, they were all retired officials who regularly enjoyed outdoor hiking. After seeing the Twelve Peaks online, they decided to go hiking together. It was their first time visiting the area, and they hadn’t arranged for a guide beforehand.
Reporter’s note
The safety of the seven elderly people had many people on edge, but fortunately, they all came out unharmed in the end.
Although the incident ended well, there are some things that need to be said: while it's great that the elderly enjoy staying active, they must pay extra attention to their safety. And it’s not just the elderly—more and more outdoor enthusiasts, often acting on their own initiative, are taking part in adventurous activities. When accidents happen, they often require the mobilization of significant public resources and a massive amount of manpower and materials.
Here, the reporter would like to remind all outdoor adventurers: never blindly seek thrills, and more importantly, never risk your life for fun.