Lost in the desert with no phone signal
Zhu Liangyong is from Zhufang Village, Yeping Township, Ruijin City. Growing up in the south, he had long been fascinated by the Taklamakan Desert. In late August, driven by a longing for the ancient Western Regions, Zhu quit his job in Fuzhou and set off alone for Xinjiang.
On August 30, Zhu arrived in Qiemo County. After a brief rest in town, he bought a local tourist map and discovered that the ruins of the ancient Qiemo city were located about 5–6 kilometers southwest of the county seat. Eager to see them, he immediately took a taxi there. Although the Qiemo ancient city ruins are a key provincial cultural heritage site, they remain undeveloped and are surrounded by desert with no dedicated roads leading to them. At the nearest national highway to the ruins, the driver dropped him off and pointed him in the right direction. Around noon on August 31, Zhu set off alone into the desert, carrying only his laptop, a baked flatbread, and four bottles of mineral water.
To Zhu’s surprise, who was experiencing the desert for the first time, he quickly realized he was lost—and to make matters worse, his phone had no signal.
“In an attempt to find a signal and a way out, I climbed several high sand dunes, but the desert was so vast. The further I walked, the fewer traces of human activity I saw,” Zhu recalled. Without a phone signal, he had no way to call for help or get directions. From August 31 to midnight on September 2, he walked and rested intermittently, finishing all four bottles of mineral water and the single flatbread within a day.
Just as he was losing all hope, around 12:30 a.m. on September 2, Zhu suddenly found that his phone had a signal and immediately called the police.
Police conduct six-hour foot search and rescue
Zhang Huafeng, director of the Qiemo County Public Security Bureau office, said that at around 12:30 a.m. on September 2, upon receiving Zhu’s distress call, they immediately dispatched a 16-person rescue team. Around 1 a.m., the team drove to the location where Zhu had initially exited the vehicle and began their search.
Zhang said they called Zhu every 15 to 20 minutes to comfort him and continuously informed him of the police’s location. The rescue team split into three groups, using the headlights of their vehicles as the primary reference point. The first group scouted the path ahead, while others followed their footprints until the headlights could no longer illuminate the area. One person would then stay behind, using a flashlight as a secondary reference, and the three groups advanced in sequence to locate the stranded man.
It is reported that the three teams fanned out toward the suspected target area. Each member carried only one bottle of water, but the experienced ones rationed it and only took a sip when extremely thirsty. In the dry desert climate, each person consumed only half a bottle of water.
Around 7 a.m., Zhu finally said excitedly over the phone, “I see you, I see you, I see your lights!” After the rescue team had ventured more than 20 kilometers into the desert, Zhang Huafeng finally heard Zhu’s voice over the phone.
“When we found Zhu Liangyong, his eyes were red, his lips were peeling, and he collapsed on a sand dune. He drank the water we gave him greedily,” Zhang said. The police checked his condition and found that, fortunately, he was not seriously harmed.
According to Zhang, in recent years, many tourists from other regions have come to explore the desert out of curiosity. Due to lack of experience, getting lost has occurred frequently, and local police have successfully rescued stranded visitors many times. He advised that after getting lost, if communication tools such as mobile phones fail, the most important thing is to stay calm. First, try to recall the original direction taken into the desert and your current location, then determine the direction to move forward. During the day, use the sun to judge direction, observing shadows cast by sand dunes. At night, use the North Star to find your bearings. It’s important to note that walking one kilometer in the desert is as strenuous as walking two or three kilometers on flat ground. When lost, it is advisable to walk around sand dunes—this saves energy and allows faster progress.
According to Zhang Huafeng, in recent years, many out-of-town tourists have curiosity-driven adventures in the desert. Due to their lack of experience, getting lost happens from time to time, and local police have successfully rescued trapped tourists on multiple occasions. He reminds visitors that after getting lost, when communication tools such as mobile phones are not functioning, the most urgent need is a calm mindset. First, one should calm down and recall the initial direction taken upon entering the desert, as well as the location where they went astray, then determine the direction to head next. During the day, one can use the sun to determine direction by observing the shadows cast by sand dunes. At night, the North Star can be used for orientation. It’s important to note that walking one kilometer in the desert is as physically demanding as walking two or three kilometers on flat ground. After getting lost, it is advisable to walk around the sand dunes. This conserves energy and allows for faster progress.