"Not one less" — On the Qingming Night at Hengshan Mountain, more than 500 people conducted a carpet search and rescue to find the missing elderly person.-Hengshan Mountain

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HENGSHAN MOUNTAIN

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"Not one less" — On the Qingming Night at Hengshan Mountain, more than 500 people conducted a carpet search and rescue to find the missing elderly person.

Publish Time:

2026-04-07 20:39

Source:

At 5:49 a.m. on April 6, after a night of exhaustive search and rescue by more than 500 rescuers, a 70-year-old tourist from Liaoning Province who had been missing for over 18 hours in the Hengshan Mountain scenic area was successfully found. At the time of discovery, the elderly man was conscious, his vital signs were stable, and he was not in life-threatening condition. This inter-departmental joint rescue operation became the warmest highlight of Hengshan Mountain tourism during the Qingming Festival holiday.

Seventy-year-old Man Leaves Park Alone; Family Seeks Help

On April 5 (the second day of the Qingming Festival holiday), at 17:12 in the afternoon, the scenic area received an emergency call for help from tourists: a family of five came to Hengshan Mountain for sightseeing. Around noon, four family members went up the mountain for a hike, leaving their 70-year-old father at the foot of the mountain to wait. They agreed to return together to their accommodation in Datong after descending. However, when the family members came down at 17:10, they found that the elderly man was nowhere to be seen, and despite extensive searches, they were unable to locate him. By this time, the family had been out of contact with the elderly man for more than five hours.

Monitoring locks the direction of travel; situation is urgent.

Upon receiving the alert, staff from the scenic area and police officers from the local precinct sprang into action, launching a search around the perimeter of the site and continuously broadcasting missing-person notices at the visitor center. At 6:53 p.m., surveillance footage revealed a breakthrough: the elderly man had exited the scenic-area gate at 3:38 p.m. that day and had been heading steadily south ever since.

According to family members, the elderly man was not carrying a mobile phone, could not recall any family contact numbers, and had previously walked from Tongzhou in Beijing to Shunyi—a distance of 28 kilometers—before being taken back by the police. Even more concerning is that he does not know how to call the police or proactively seek help from others.

The situation was extremely urgent at the time: during the Qingming Festival, the lowest nighttime temperature on Hengshan Mountain dropped to minus 5 degrees Celsius, and the elderly person had been missing for several hours, facing life-threatening risks such as hypothermia and frostbite at any moment.

Multiple departments launch emergency response; over 500 personnel deployed for search and rescue.

The scenic area and the local police station immediately upgraded the rescue plan and promptly reported the situation to the Hunyuan County Public Security Bureau and county leaders. Subsequently, the scenic area’s emergency response plan was activated, a leading group headed by the county’s top officials was established, and a temporary search-and-rescue command center was set up at the Yuemenwan Management Office. Multiple emergency response teams—including public security special police, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, scenic-area rescue personnel, and medical aid—were swiftly assembled, while coordinated efforts were launched simultaneously among Qingciyao Town, Yong’an Town, the Emergency Management Bureau, and other relevant departments.

The search-and-rescue team has grown steadily from its initial dozens of members to more than 500. Public security authorities have assigned dedicated personnel to meticulously review surveillance footage along the route, accurately tracing the elderly person’s movements; meanwhile, township officials and coordinated responders have conducted door-to-door checks in every village along the way, leaving no blind spots.

Tracked for 16 Kilometers Late at Night, Elder Found Amidst the Ruins

Monitoring and sequentially locking the elderly person’s whereabouts:

- At 16:11, appeared in Daciyao Village and proceeded south.

- At 16:47, appeared at the entrance of the Yuanguoziyuan Coal Mine and proceeded in the direction of Qingciyao.

- At 17:02, appeared at Ermuwan.

- At 17:33, appeared near the east gate of Yanji New Materials Company in Hunyuan County, to the east of Qingciyao Village.

At this point, the elderly man had already moved far from the core area of the scenic zone. The distance between Yuemen Bay and Jiezhuang Village is 16 kilometers, with complex terrain and numerous abandoned coal-yard structures. Late at night, temperatures are extremely low, visibility is severely limited, and cellular coverage is patchy, making search-and-rescue operations exceedingly difficult. Rescue personnel have adopted a combined approach of foot patrols and drone reconnaissance to conduct a comprehensive, grid-like search and rescue effort.

The government’s top leaders are personally overseeing the temporary search-and-rescue command center. Scenic area, Leaders from the public security authorities and other relevant departments provided coordinated command throughout the operation. After 13 consecutive hours of intense rescue efforts by all personnel, at 5:49 a.m. on April 6, the missing elderly man was finally located in an abandoned coal-yard building in Jie Zhuang Village. He was fully conscious, in good physical condition, and not in any life-threatening danger.

At 6:29 a.m. that day—18 hours after being separated from her family and the elderly woman—the elderly woman was safely rescued and brought to the temporary search-and-rescue command center in Yuemen Bay, where she was reunited with her family.

Friendly Reminder

This successful rescue underscores the principle of “putting the people first and life above all else,” and also serves to 5A Creation of the Hengshan Mountain Scenic Area Adding a touch of warmth. The scenic area hereby issues the following notice to all visitors:

- Always travel in groups and look out for one another, paying special attention to the elderly and children.

- Strictly comply with the scenic area’s management regulations, follow the guidance of staff, and absolutely refrain from entering unopened areas without authorization.

- Plan your itinerary in advance and pay close attention to official safety advisories and weather alerts.

- Equip with necessary safety protective gear and enhance awareness of self-protection and emergency evacuation capabilities.

Keywords:

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"Not one less" — On the Qingming Night at Hengshan Mountain, more than 500 people conducted a carpet search and rescue to find the missing elderly person.