A tourist survived a 180ft fall down a near-vertical cliff face in China’s Shanxi Province after becoming lodged in a rock crevice, in a rescue described by emergency workers as unprecedented in 16 years of service.
A tourist has survived a terrifying fall down a cliff face in northern China after becoming wedged in a rock crevice roughly halfway down the drop, where she remained trapped for five hours before rescuers reached her. Ren Mou had been alone at the Jiaozi Cliff in Shanxi Province, watching the sunrise from the 330ft-high ledge, when she slipped in wet and poorly lit conditions and fell 180ft. She was ultimately saved by the very crevice that stopped her fall, which held her in place against the smooth rock face until help arrived.
A Cry for Help in the Dark
The alarm was raised in the early hours of 2 July, after a man at the base of the cliff heard Ren’s desperate calls and immediately alerted the authorities. Rescuers said the woman remained conscious throughout the ordeal, continuing to call out for help, which allowed emergency teams to confirm her exact location and monitor her condition as the rescue operation got underway.
Locating her precisely on the steep terrain in low light proved a significant challenge in itself. Emergency crews deployed drones fitted with infrared imaging, which rescuers said were crucial in pinpointing her position on the cliff face despite the darkness and difficult visibility.
A Rescue Without Precedent
Reaching Ren posed its own difficulties, as the cliff’s smooth surface left rescuers with no natural anchor points to secure their equipment. Teams instead tied ropes to nearby trees before abseiling down to reach her. The captain of the Shanxi Blue Sky Rescue Team said the operation was the first of its kind he had encountered in 16 years of emergency response work.
By the time she was brought to safety, Ren had spent five hours trapped in the crevice. She was found disorientated and exhausted, having sustained multiple injuries that were not considered life-threatening, and was taken to hospital, where she remains under treatment. Her family have thanked the rescue team for their efforts through the night.
Renewed Warnings for Visitors
Following the incident, local authorities urged tourists to stay away from cliff edges during periods of poor visibility, particularly around dawn or after rainfall, when rock surfaces can become extremely slippery. Police have also cautioned visitors more generally against lingering near cliff edges at night and to heed safety warnings posted at scenic locations.
The incident follows a separate case in which a tourist fell 130ft from a cliff while taking a selfie at Huaying Mountain in Guang’an, China.
