By China News Service, Chengde, May 2 (Zhang Fan) — On May 2, reporters learned from the Chengde City Public Security Fire Brigade that on April 30, 11 hikers from Shenyang, Liaoning, were climbing in the Dushan Scenic Area of Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County in Chengde when one of them had their leg crushed by falling rocks and could not free themselves. Firefighters from Kuancheng County trekked more than 30 kilometers on foot, staging a nine-hour life-and-death rescue.
According to Liang Zefeng, instructor of the Kuancheng Fire Brigade, at 08:20 on April 30, they received a report that hikers were trapped by falling rocks in the Dushan Scenic Area of the county. At 09:40, the brigade’s team arrived at the foot of the mountain. After an hour-long trek over the main peak of Dushan and learning the approximate location of the trapped individual, Liang led three team members as a small squad to start climbing from the sunny side slope of Dushan, while the others preserved energy and stood by.
"Because there were no paths on the mountain and the area was covered with dense shrubs, the search and rescue work faced great difficulty. The officers' clothes and shoes were all torn," Liang Zefeng said. When the small squad reached the mountaintop, they found that the trapped person had already been rescued by firefighters from the Qinglong Fire Brigade who had arrived earlier to assist in the mission.
However, with the vast mountain forest, dense underbrush, rugged paths, and abundant loose rocks, the biggest challenge at the time was how to safely carry the trapped person out of the mountains and get them proper medical treatment as soon as possible.
Time is life. After discussion between the Kuancheng firefighters and the Qinglong firefighters, it was decided that the Qinglong team would clear the way by removing branches on both sides, while the Kuancheng team would be responsible for carrying the trapped person up the mountain. As the rescuers carried the individual up the mountainside, they found the path growing steeper. They had to step carefully into rock crevices and grip tree roots to move forward—any misstep could have led to a deadly fall.
At 18:11 in the afternoon, after more than eight hours of rescue operations, the trapped individual was finally safely delivered to the rescue vehicle.
Dushan is located at the border between Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County of Chengde and Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County of Qinhuangdao, with its main peak standing at 1,846.3 meters above sea level, making it the second-highest peak in the Yanshan Mountain Range. The terrain around the Dushan Natural Scenic Area is rugged and strategically defensible, making it a contested military stronghold in both ancient and modern times. It is understood that in recent years, many hiking enthusiasts have frequently come here to explore.
Firefighters remind all hiking enthusiasts to always prioritize safety when climbing and never disregard personal safety for the sake of thrill-seeking. Amateur climbers should stick to developed tourist areas and avoid venturing into places where infrastructure and safety measures are not yet fully established.