21-year-old man dies after illegal trek in Sichuan's Daocheng Yading

(ECNS) -- A 21-year-old man from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region died while being evacuated to a lower altitude after suffering severe altitude sickness during an unauthorized trek in undeveloped terrain near the Yading scenic area in Daocheng County, Sichuan Province, local authorities confirmed.

Rescuers hiked for about 18 hours before locating the man near Niangxi Niuchang, a high-altitude pasture along the Yading circuit. He died while being evacuated, according to media reports.

A tourist from Shanghai, using the pseudonym Li Fei, said he came across the man around noon on Oct. 12 near Niangxi Niuchang, at an altitude of more than 4,500 meters and about 20 to 30 kilometers from the main scenic area.

The area is undeveloped, and the man appeared to be in critical condition, showing signs of severe altitude sickness and struggling to communicate, Li said. Local horse handlers told him the man had been stranded in the area for three days and nights.

Li and other hikers provided the man with portable oxygen and glucose and charged his phone. After his condition appeared to improve somewhat, they resumed their trek, having learned that a rescue team was already on its way and that the man's father was also heading to Yading.

Local authorities said they had received a call for help at around 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 11. After assessing the situation, rescuers set out on foot and found the man shortly after noon the following day.

Since September, the official WeChat account of the Yading scenic area has repeatedly issued notices warning visitors against unauthorized entry into the protected area. Only designated tourist routes are open to the public, while other mountain forests, valleys and unofficial trails are off-limits for unauthorized trekking and exploration.

Rescue operations in remote, high-altitude areas can be particularly challenging, local fire and rescue personnel said. Many unauthorized trekking routes around Yading lie at elevations above 4,500 meters, with no mobile phone coverage or road access. Rescuers must reach those areas on foot, often in harsh conditions, complicating emergency operations.

(By Zhang Dongfang)