On November 15th, the results of the rescue of 11 donkey friends during their wild adventure in Lushan, Jiangxi have been announced. The local government has reimbursed a total of 74,000 RMB in rescue expenses to the rescued donkey friends, sparking public attention.
According to the Jiangxi Provincial Emergency Management Department, the incident occurred on September 27th when the 11 “donkey friends” were mountain climbing in Lushan, Jiujiang, venturing into the unopened area known as “Sifeng Gorge”. At 4:30 pm that day, one person fell to their death while climbing a cliff.
The other “donkey friends” began seeking help from the outside world, and more than 120 rescue personnel were dispatched by the Jiangxi authorities to the area. After a day and night of searching, all trapped individuals were rescued on the evening of September 28th.
After being rescued, the organizer of the activity was administratively detained for 10 days, while the other 9 participants were fined 200 RMB each. On November 2nd, the local government held a meeting to request the reimbursement of the 74,000 RMB rescue expenses from the “donkey friends”.
As of the 15th, the reimbursement fees of 9 of the “donkey friends” have been settled, while the reimbursement for one person is still in progress.
The term “donkey friends” originated from the internet, as a homophonic term for travel, referring to outdoor sports and self-guided travel enthusiasts.
According to Xu Changgen, an official from the Jiangxi Provincial Emergency Management Department, in recent years, there have been several incidents of people being trapped in mountainous forest scenic areas in the province. He stated that tourists often mistakenly enter complex terrains within the scenic spots, with some surrounding farmers entering the mountains to harvest bamboo shoots, pick chestnuts, or gather wild herbs, while others engage in outdoor climbing adventures. He mentioned that moving forward, joint punitive actions will be taken against violators, recovering rescue costs, and by increasing the cost of illegal activities, they aim to curb risky violations.
In response, netizens have varied opinions:
“I think outdoor adventures should still be allowed, but rescue operations should come with a fee that participants must pay.” “Adults should bear the risks themselves, but if they violate rules or consume social resources, they should be fined accordingly.” “Donkey friends engaging in outdoor risks should have insurance coverage. In case of accidents, rescue costs can be covered by insurance companies.”