What to do if an accident occurs during outdoor activities? Safety first, mission second

On the morning of November 22, after several days of intensive search and rescue by more than a thousand people, four staff members of the Kunming Comprehensive Natural Resources Survey Center of the China Geological Survey who had lost contact in Ailao Mountain in Yunnan were found, but they all had no vital signs and had unfortunately died.

Multiple departments in Yunnan transfer bodies of missing persons

On the morning of November 23, multiple departments in Yunnan safely and steadily transferred the bodies of the missing persons in Ailao Mountain to the No. 4 Management Station. As of 7 a.m., the Yunnan Forest Fire Brigade participating in the search and rescue carried out operations according to the established deployment of the front joint command. A total of 109 people, including 84 people from the Kunming detachment and 25 people from the Pu'er detachment, are safely and steadily transferring the bodies of the missing persons to the No. 4 Management Station. The straight-line distance is about 1.5 kilometers, and it is estimated that it will take another 4 hours to reach the No. 4 Management Station.

As it was still raining in the area and the terrain of Ailao Mountain was complex, the transfer of the bodies was somewhat difficult.

Search and rescue scene. Photo provided by Pu'er Fire Rescue Brigade

What exactly is Ailao Mountain?

Rescuers: "It took two hours to cover 500 meters"

According to public information, Ailao Mountain is a national nature reserve with a maximum altitude of more than 3,100 meters. It covers Chuxiong City, Shuangbai County, Nanhua County in Chuxiong Prefecture, Jingdong County and Zhenyuan County in Pu'er City, and Xinping County in Yuxi City. The area in Zhenyuan County of Pu'er City alone reaches 135,000 mu. The area has steep mountains and complex geographical environment.

After receiving the report, Pu'er City and Yuxi City set up rescue command centers and deployed rescue forces including public security, fire rescue, forest fire, mountain rescue team, local villagers, etc. At the same time, they used satellite phones, drones, helicopters, search and rescue dogs, etc. to carry out search and rescue.

The picture shows the search and rescue team searching for the missing persons. Photo provided by Pu'er Fire Rescue Brigade

Zhao Lei (pseudonym), who participated in the rescue operation from the Yunnan Mountain Rescue Team, said that the terrain of Ailao Mountain is complex and changeable. It rained a few days ago, and there was fog in the mountain. In addition, the signal was always intermittent, making it difficult to identify the direction. "The thorny bamboo under our feet was too dense, and it took us two hours to cover a distance of 500 meters."

Zhao Lei said that in addition to the complex terrain, they also need to be vigilant against attacks by wild animals. Some search and rescue personnel said that they had heard the cries of bears. In some places with steep slopes, search and rescue personnel need to "slide down", while dangerous and steep areas such as rivers, canyons and waterfalls require professional mountain personnel to use ropes and other equipment to search.

Rescuers share more details about carrying supplies

It is understood that the four personnel went into the mountains to conduct a forest resource survey. The supplies they carried included: water and food, 2 packs of egg yolk pies, 4 rice porridges, 1 pack of chocolate, 1 pack of melon seeds, 4 packs of chicken wings, and 4 bottles of drinks. In terms of equipment, they carried RTK (real-time differential positioning) equipment, forest compasses, engineer shovels, spades and other tools.

It is worth noting that RTK equipment is a very advanced positioning instrument. Once turned on, it can transmit real-time data to the rear command center via satellite. The rear command center can also accurately locate the location of the equipment through relevant data, and the difference is at the "centimeter level". However, according to the search and rescue personnel, these four RTK devices were not turned on after being brought into the mountain.

However, people working in geology said that if the communication signal is lost in the primeval forest, even if it is turned on, the people behind will not receive any information. Mr. Zhang, who participated in the rescue, also gave the same statement. During the search and rescue process, his mobile phone signal was intermittent and he often could not receive any messages.

In addition, He Yingying, the driver who was waiting at the foot of the mountain, was worried that they would not be able to get down the mountain at night, so she poured them a mineral water bottle of gasoline from the spare oil barrel for them to use for making fires for heating, protecting against wild animals, and diluting paint.

On November 22, the search and rescue team found the backpack at the location where the missing person was found. Source: Yunnan Fire Rescue Corps

Among the four personnel, Zhang Yu carried a large camouflage bag containing food and work tools, and Zhang Jinbang carried a gray-blue backpack containing a compass and a tablet. The others wore: Zhang Jinbang (yellow jacket + thermal underwear), Yang Min and Zhang Yu (camouflage uniform + thermal underwear), and Liu Yu (down jacket + issued jacket).

It is reported that the four geological survey personnel entered the Ailao Mountain this time to carry out the task of forest stock survey. They originally planned to enter the mountain on the 13th and had agreed with the driver to leave the mountain at 4 pm on the 14th.

No beasts attacked him, and the cause of death may be hypothermia caused by compass failure.

Members of the National Mountain Rescue Kunming Brigade at the scene described that based on visual observation, the four victims were relatively well-dressed and showed no signs of being attacked by wild animals. According to The Paper, search and rescue personnel at the scene said that the task the geologists received was very simple, and it was suspected that the compass malfunctioned and the detour caused insufficient supplies and led to hypothermia.

Tan Zhang, a member of the Yuelu Blue Sky Rescue Team, said: In fact, their mission was a very simple one. The four of them walked on the mountain, marked a point at a certain location, and then went down the mountain. However, because there was rain and fog on the top of the mountain, the mechanical compass malfunctioned when they were looking for the sample point, so their range of action was circling around the shack, and they never reached the sample point. In addition, there was no mobile phone signal on the mountain, and the team members did not carry satellite phones, so they could not communicate with the outside world.

According to the analysis of the search and rescue team, the terrain of Ailao Mountain was dangerous, the temperature dropped sharply, and the supplies were insufficient, which may have caused the four people to die of hypothermia. Tan Zhang said that they were lightly equipped and walked along the river. The straight-line distance to the sampling point was 2.6 kilometers, and it would take two or three days to walk there.

So what is hypothermia? And how should people deal with hypothermia when they encounter it outdoors?

What is hypothermia?

Hypothermia, also known as hypothermia, describes the phenomenon when the core temperature of the human body falls below 35.0℃.

Generally speaking, hypothermia refers to a situation where the body's heat loss is greater than its heat supply, which causes the body's core temperature to drop, and produces a series of symptoms such as chills, confusion, cardiopulmonary failure, and even death.

Hypothermia is caused by two main reasons. The first and most common reason is exposure to extremely low temperatures. The other reason is any situation that inhibits the body's heat production mechanism or increases the rate of hypothermia.

Under what circumstances is hypothermia likely to occur?

When exposed to cold environments for a long time, the human body will use the body's stored energy to regulate body temperature, but the heat loss is greater than the heat supply, resulting in hypothermia or abnormally low body temperature.

Hypothermia can affect the brain's ability to think, making it difficult to take protective measures. Hypothermia is more dangerous because people may not realize it is happening and fail to take protective measures.

Hypothermia usually occurs in extremely cold weather, but it can also occur in weather as cold as 4 to 5°C if you are caught in the rain or soaked in cold water in a humid environment.

Who are the vulnerable groups to hypothermia?

People who are vulnerable to hypothermia include:

elderly people without adequate food, clothing or heating;

Babies sleeping in cold indoor environments;

People who stay outdoors for a long time;

wanderers, hikers, etc.;

People after drinking.

What symptoms will the human body experience after hypothermia?

Hypothermia is divided into three stages according to its severity: mild, moderate and severe.

Stage 1 (mild hypothermia): body temperature drops to 32℃～35℃.

During this stage, the body shivers, feels numbness in the hands, and is unable to perform complex movements; blood vessels in the distal limbs constrict to reduce heat loss; breathing becomes rapid and shallow; and "goose bumps" appear on the skin, which is an attempt to make the hair stand up to form an insulating layer. People with hypothermia may feel tired and have abdominal pain, difficulty seeing, and have abnormally high urination.

Sometimes a person with hypothermia may feel warm, but this is actually a sign that hypothermia is progressing to stage 2. One way to test how far the condition has progressed to stage 2 is if the patient can touch his thumb and pinky finger, the first stage of muscle inactivity.

Stage 2 (moderate hypothermia): body temperature drops to 28℃～32℃.

Muscle incoordination becomes more obvious, and people move more slowly and with difficulty, accompanied by unsteady steps and disorientation. The superficial skin blood vessels continue to contract to maintain the temperature of vital organs. People with hypothermia have pale faces, and the color of their lips, ears, fingers and toes may turn blue. Abnormal undressing occurs, which is an imbalance in the body's own regulatory mechanism. The peripheral blood vessels that were originally always contracted expand, resulting in a temporary illusion of "warming up".

Stage 3 (severe hypothermia): Body temperature drops to below approximately 28°C.

Muscle tremors usually stop. Speech becomes difficult and thinking becomes slow. Exposed skin turns blue, muscle coordination is almost completely lost, and the person becomes unable to walk or even falls into a coma. The pulse and breathing slow down significantly, and a tachycardia or atrial fibrillation may occur, eventually leading to cardiopulmonary failure.

What should I do when hypothermia occurs?

If you find that an adult has chills, collapse, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech, or drowsiness, or that an infant has bright red skin, chills, or any of these signs, please measure the body temperature immediately. If the temperature is below 35°C, seek medical attention immediately.

When medical attention is not immediately available, try the following to raise your temperature:

to bring it into a warm room or dwelling;

Take off wet clothes promptly;

Take steps to warm the core areas of the body – chest, neck, head and groin;

Take hot drinks to help raise body temperature but avoid alcoholic drinks and do not give to unconscious people;

Once the condition improves, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

How to avoid hypothermia?

Familiarize yourself with the local weather conditions in advance and prepare appropriate clothing according to the weather conditions;

If you go out in cold weather, take appropriate windproof measures and avoid being exposed to the cold wind. Warm hats, gloves, scarves, windbreakers, thick socks, windproof masks, and even goggles are essential items for going out in windy and cold weather. The more body organs are exposed, the faster the wind speed, the faster the body heat will be lost.

When doing outdoor activities in cold weather, keep your body dry. If you get wet, change into dry clothes immediately.

Choose underwear that dries quickly and wicks away sweat, and avoid cotton underwear. Cotton fabrics absorb sweat very well and are not easy to remove, which can cause hypothermia;

Pay attention to adding or removing clothes. Many people like to wear thick clothes when hiking, for fear of catching a cold on the road. As a result, they are soaked with sweat before they have walked far, and it is easy to get hypothermia.

Bring enough high-calorie food;

Don't overdraw your energy, prevent dehydration, avoid excessive sweating and fatigue, and replenish your body heat with food and hot drinks at any time, which is also a very useful way to prevent hypothermia;

If you suffer from hypothermia, you need to go to the emergency department or burn department for emergency treatment.

Source: China News Network, National Health Commission official WeChat account, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, The Paper, Beijing News, China Newsweek, Kankan News