Rescued hikers to be fined for entering Guangdong nature reserve

Thirteen hikers who needed rescuing after violating a government ban and entering the Shimentai nature reserve in Yingde, Guangdong province, will be fined, according to the Yingde Public Security Bureau on Monday.

They had been trapped by heavy rain when hiking in the area. The Yingde police received a report first on Saturday that five hikers had gone missing in the Shimentai National Nature Reserve.

The police immediately organized a search and rescue operation. Due to the heavy rain, complex terrain, and interrupted cellphone signals, the rescue operation was difficult. However, by Sunday, all five missing hikers were found and successfully rescued.

On the same day, the Yingde police received another report that eight hikers were unable to descend the slippery mountain in the nature reserve.

The rescue team rushed to the scene of the second incident without rest. Due to the slippery terrain, the rescue vehicles could only get to about five kilometers away from the trapped hikers.

Rescuers then proceeded on foot with equipment for nearly two hours before reaching them. All eight were brought safely down the mountain.

The 13 hikers will face fines for violating the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Nature Reserves.

The regulations state that anyone is prohibited from entering the core area of a nature reserve without permission.

In recent years, in several incidents, many people have been fined for unauthorized entry and activities in the protected area.

On June 3, 2022, five people were fined 3,000 yuan ($418) each for illegally entering the core area of the reserve for sightseeing without approval.

On June 25, 2020, two were fined 2,000 yuan each for unauthorized hiking in the nature reserve.

The Shimentai National Nature Reserve primarily serves to protect the subtropical forest ecosystem and also acts as a source of water conservation for surrounding areas.

According to a notice from the management bureau of the reserve on Aug 8, 2022, the nature reserve has a complex terrain, unpredictable weather, frequent flash floods, and poor communication. Once an accident occurs, the rescue operation will be extremely challenging.

In recent years, there have been multiple incidents resulting in casualties.

On Aug 18, 2020, 12 people illegally entered the reserve and were caught in a flash flood, leading to the drowning of three. On Sept 19, 2015, a group of 47 hikers illegally entered the reserve and were caught in a flash flood, resulting in six deaths.