(ECNS) - A rescue team has found two student hikers — one dead and the other with severe dehydration — in Badain Jaran desert in Inner Mongolia.
The students from Jilin University have not made contact with friends and family, who were expecting them to return on May 27, the Beijing News reported.
Both hikers, surnamed Zhao and Pan, are male and born in 1995. They set off into Badain Jaran desert on May 17, says Ma Jianglong, a rescue officer from the Chinese Mountaineering Association.
Knowing there would be no means of communication in the desert, Zhao and Pan left a note detailing their route, GPS data and rescue phone numbers. They also asked friends to "call the police if we fail to get out on the 27th."
Of the two, only Pan had previous outdoor hiking experience.
The local Alxa government sent three off-road vehicles and medical staff into the desert on May 27, and another 30 vehicles entered the desert the following day.
Uncertain whether the students drifted from their planned route, the search radius has been extended to 100 kilometers.
The local government has also sought help from satellite communication devices and applied for helicopter assistance.
After an active search, the rescue team arrived at the scene of the two hikers at around 6 a.m. on Friday.
Zhao was pronounced dead at the scene, and Pan had severe signs of dehydration. The rescue team has given first aid to Pan.
