Rescuers are carrying Mr. Zhang to safety. Photo provided by a reader of this newspaper.
(Intern Reporter Gong Mian) Yesterday at around 3 p.m., rescuers saved a man trapped in the mountains at Hutou Mountain in Badachu Park. By that time, the man had been out of contact with the outside world for three days. He was then sent to Peking University Shougang Hospital for treatment.
Man loses contact while hiking
According to a person in charge surnamed Liu from the trapped man’s workplace, the man, surnamed Zhang, is 48 years old and occasionally hikes to exercise. At around 8 p.m. last Friday, he received a call from Mr. Zhang’s family, who said they couldn’t reach him and asked the workplace for help. After learning the situation, Mr. Liu found out that Mr. Zhang had driven out that morning and hadn’t returned home by 8 p.m. Calls to his phone showed it was connected but went unanswered.
Mr. Liu said that they had plans that evening to have dinner at the elderly mother’s place. “Lao Zhang is usually very filial and would never ignore his mother’s calls. I felt something must have happened right away.” He then called the police and sought help from several rescue teams through friends.
Multiple teams search the mountain
Mr. Liu said that after calling the police, they located Mr. Zhang’s vehicle near Badachu Middle School at around noon on May 12 using a positioning system. They concluded that Mr. Zhang might have encountered danger while hiking. Subsequently, multiple rescue teams including the Blue Sky Rescue Team, Green Field Rescue Team, and Red Cross Rescue Team arrived at Badachu Park, where over 20 rescue members searched for Mr. Zhang.
At around 12:30 p.m. yesterday, rescuers found Mr. Zhang about 15 meters east of the summit of Hutou Mountain in Badachu Park. He was lying on the ground at the mountainside, barely able to speak and continuously calling for help. The rescuers immediately contacted Mr. Zhang’s family and sought help from the Shijingshan Badachu Fire Station. Half an hour later, firefighters arrived at the top of Hutou Mountain.
After assessing the surroundings, the firefighters from the Badachu Fire Station noticed the slope was steep and overgrown with vegetation. Using a stretcher to carry the trapped man up directly posed great risks. After deliberation, they decided to secure a fixed point at the mountaintop with a rescue rope, then lower the rope down the mountain. Rescuers held the stretcher with one hand and the rope with the other to lift the trapped man up. Mr. Zhang said he had no sensation in his lower body. Hearing this, the rescuers didn’t dare to move him onto the stretcher lightly and waited until medical personnel examined him before securing him on the stretcher.
Trapped man out of danger
To get Mr. Zhang treated as soon as possible, the ambulance drove along the fire road to the mountaintop. The rescuers carried the trapped man toward the fire road. By taking turns to carry the stretcher, they managed to get him into the ambulance after 30 minutes.
At around 3 p.m. yesterday, Mr. Zhang was sent to Peking University Shougang Hospital. After a preliminary examination, doctors said he was physically weak, possibly had a waist injury, but his vital signs were stable. Mr. Zhang said he had barely drunk any water during the days he was trapped. Some rescuers speculated that he might have slipped and fallen down the mountain due to rain while hiking. They reminded hikers to avoid climbing in bad weather and to hike with companions when possible.