Hikers share photos of Chen Wenlue in life
A 27-year-old hiker and Huawei employee, Chen Wenlue, went hiking with other hikers in the vicinity of JinGui Village on the 3rd. He became separated and lost contact while descending the mountain, but this did not raise concern among his companions. Yesterday morning, rescue workers searched the mountains in the rain, working continuously for over 17 hours. With support from the Shenzhen Mountain Search and Rescue Team, they found Chen Wenlue’s body at Honghualing on Maluan Mountain in Pingshan Subdistrict. There were no obvious signs of injury on the body. Pingshan police revealed that the cause of death still awaits forensic examination.
Teammates noticed his absence but didn’t pay attention
Chen Wenlue’s classmate, Chen Sixing, said that Chen Wenlue was from Huazhou, Guangdong. He graduated from South China University of Technology with a bachelor’s degree, then pursued a master’s in automation at a Shenzhen campus of a university in Harbin. He had just graduated this year and started working at Huawei. Chen Wenlue was quiet, focused on technology, and in his spare time enjoyed surfing the internet and hiking. He often posted on popular outdoor websites and participated in outdoor activities.
On April 3, hiker A Pan posted on the well-known outdoor websites “Mafang” and “Haijiao Outdoor” to gather fellow hikers for a trek from Dameisha to JinGui Village to Shuizupeng. Chen Wenlue was one of the respondents. On the “Haijiao Outdoor” website, Chen Wenlue’s username was “Can’t Speak.” According to Pingshan police, on the day of the incident, A Pan led the group on the hike. While descending, he counted the members and realized one person was missing, but did not think much of it, assuming Chen Wenlue might have descended on his own. The hikers went their separate ways after reaching the bottom. In line with hiker custom, the leader posted an account of the trip and the events on the outdoor website where he had originally posted the hike notice.
Fellow hikers who were on the trek with Chen Wenlue stated that after noticing his disappearance, they called him. Although the signal was strong, there was no answer, yet still no one paid attention.
Search efforts fail, rescue team mobilized
At 1:38 p.m. the day before yesterday, the deceased’s younger brother, Chen Wen zhi, posted on Sina Weibo saying that Chen Wenlue had called his family on April 3, but on April 5, colleagues noticed he hadn’t shown up for work and wasn’t in the dormitory. His phone was switched off. The family found the team leader, A Pan, online. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, A Pan called the police at 5:40 p.m. that day.
Pingshan police responded to the report and promptly dispatched around 20 officers, including police and auxiliary personnel, to search. Because the JinGui Village area is remote with difficult terrain, the JinGui community mobilized villagers to help. It rained heavily in Shenzhen that night, and despite searching through the night until the next morning, they found nothing. Yesterday morning, the police contacted the Shenzhen Mountain Rescue Team, deploying a professional team of 12. Guided by the hike organizer A Pan, they searched along the original hiking route and eventually found Chen Wenlue’s body at Honghualing on Maluan Mountain. There were no external injuries on the body.
At 8 p.m. last night, Pingshan police posted on Sina Weibo revealing that according to their investigation, Chen Wenlue had joined a group of 15 people for a mountain hike on April 3. He became separated from the descending hikers that day, and the leader only discovered his absence on April 5 and called the police. One hiker said they suspected Chen Wenlue may have experienced physical issues during the hike, such as exhaustion or fainting.
The deceased’s family said that most relatives have now arrived in Shenzhen and are waiting at the funeral home for the autopsy results, preparing to handle Chen Wenlue’s funeral arrangements. Reported by: Southern Metropolis Daily reporter Li Xiaomin
Netizens reflect
The outdoors is not just about proving yourself
On Mafang and Sina Weibo, many hikers pointed fingers at the team leader, believing the organizer led the hikers on the trip but failed to promptly notice a teammate’s disappearance, and didn’t call the police even after losing contact. It was only when the family reported it two days later that action was taken. “They clearly did not fulfill the responsibilities of a team leader.”
Netizen “Homebody Turned Recluse” said that this accident is somewhat reminiscent of last year’s Xinghe incident. Neither the leader nor the teammates took responsibility. Everyone always says “No brothers, no outdoors” and “two is a party,” but who actually practices that? The outdoors is not just about proving yourself, but also about ensuring those you’re with can go home safely.
Expert opinion
Lack of preparation leads to frequent accidents
According to incomplete statistics from the Shenzhen Mountain Rescue Team, the number of outdoor sports incidents and the number of people involved in Shenzhen have been on the rise since 2001. Peng Yuanxin, from the command center of the team, said that Shenzhen is one of the cities with the most developed outdoor sports scene in China. Due to high work pressure and other factors, there are many non-professional hikers. Some hikers may be passionate, but their professional skills do not match, leading to a sharp increase in the number of people involved in outdoor-related accidents. In 2001, there were 3 incidents; in 2010, there were 16. The number of hikers involved in related incidents rose from 18 in 2001 to 214 in 2010.
Peng Yuanxin said that many beginner outdoor enthusiasts and ordinary citizens who participate in outdoor activities often focus only on leisure, entertainment, and making friends, while neglecting risks and lack adequate preparation beforehand. The official website of the China Emergency Rescue Alliance, the “2010 China Outdoor Safety Accident Research Report,” shows that among the causes of accidents, getting lost is the primary reason, accounting for 51.6% of outdoor incidents. The main reasons remain a lack of outdoor knowledge, insufficient personal ability, and inadequate preparation.