On the evening of February 9, four tourists ignored the previous ban from the four departments of Deqin County, Diqing Prefecture, Yunnan Province, and entered the prohibited undeveloped high-risk area of Yubengshen Lake without reporting and were trapped after hiking and exploring. The local area immediately organized 19 rescue forces to search and rescue overnight. At noon on the 10th, they found and escorted three trapped people down the mountain, and one person was lost. Subsequently, the local area once again mobilized a search and rescue team of 31 people. Overcoming multiple difficulties, the search and rescue method was carried out on foot + drone. The missing person was found at 20:00 on the 11th and was safely escorted down the mountain at 18:00 on the 12th.
The police stated that those who enter undeveloped or unopened areas without authorization, refuse to listen to dissuasion, disrupt the order of the scenic spot or cause dangerous situations will be dealt with in accordance with the law. All rescue costs, legal liabilities and safety consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the parties themselves.
On the evening of February 9, four tourists entered the undeveloped and unopened area – Yubengshen Lake for a hiking expedition without approval or reporting to the relevant authorities, and were trapped. After receiving the alarm, the Deqin County Public Security Bureau immediately launched an emergency rescue plan, organized the police force of the police station, and combined fire rescue personnel and local guides, a total of 19 people went into the mountain overnight for search and rescue. After all-out search and rescue efforts, the three trapped persons were successfully found and safely escorted down at noon on February 10, while one person was lost.
In order to fully search for and rescue the missing persons, a total of 31 people including public security police, fire rescue personnel, township government staff, forestry and grassland bureau fire fighters, medical staff, scenic area staff, and local people familiar with the terrain were once again mobilized to form a search and rescue team. They entered the mountain again at 18:00 on the 10th to carry out comprehensive search and rescue. Because this area is an undeveloped, unopened, unprotected and unprotected wilderness dangerous area with steep mountains, many cliffs and gravel slopes, and incomplete communication signal coverage, making search and rescue extremely difficult. The rescuers overcame multiple difficulties such as hypoxia, severe cold, and complex terrain, and adopted a "hiking + drone" method to carry out blanket search and rescue. The last missing person was successfully found at around 20:00 on the 11th, and his vital signs were stable. He was safely escorted down the mountain at around 18:00 on February 12.
The Paper noted that on October 14, 2025, Deqin County Culture and Tourism Bureau, Deqin County Forestry and Grassland Bureau, Deqin County Emergency Management Bureau, Deqin Branch of Diqing Prefecture Ecological Environment Bureau, etc. jointly issued a document clearly prohibiting any unit or individual from carrying out tourism, hiking, adventure and other activities in undeveloped, unopened, unsafe and unaided areas in the county. The Yubengshen Lake hiking route is an undeveloped high-risk area that is expressly prohibited from entering. Obvious warning signs and no-entry signs have been set up at the entrances along the route to clearly prohibit tourists from entering. This area is located in the hinterland of Mantsim Peak in the Meili Snow Mountains, with an altitude of up to 4,700 meters and a large drop. The mountains are steep, the snow is deep, and the ice is slippery. There are no stable communication signals, no safe trails, and no emergency supplies. The weather on the plateau is changeable, and the night temperature is extremely low. Search and rescue are extremely difficult. There have been many safety hazards such as people being trapped and missing contact.
The Paper learned from the Deqin police that they will work with scenic spots and towns to increase patrol control and warning and dissuasion measures in undeveloped areas. Anyone who enters an undeveloped or unopened area without authorization, refuses to listen to dissuasion, disrupts the order of the scenic spot or causes a dangerous situation will be dealt with in accordance with the law; all rescue costs, legal liabilities and safety consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the parties themselves.
