Beijing Pair Trapped 30 Hours After Ignoring Rescue Calls Due to Superstition

Two people trapped in a mountainous area of Beijing for nearly 30 hours reportedly ignored repeated calls from rescuers because they feared responding to voices in the mountains would bring bad luck. The 73-year-old man and 58-year-old woman had gone into a remote area to forage for herbs when they became stranded.

Police and firefighters in Beijing's Huairou district launched a search on the evening of July 29 after the two villagers were reported missing. The pair, who often went foraging together, both had hearing impairments. They had not carried mobile phones because there was no network coverage in the mountainous region, and rescuers were told they had no food or water with them.

Search teams worked through the night to locate the missing pair. After around 17 hours of searching, rescuers eventually found them, although they were extremely exhausted after spending nearly 30 hours in the mountains. Authorities later discovered that the two had heard rescue teams calling out to them well before they were located.

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However, the pair deliberately chose not to answer the calls because of a traditional superstition. They reportedly believed that people who hear their names being called while lost in the mountains should not respond or reveal that they are hungry or thirsty. Instead of moving towards the rescuers, the two reportedly walked in the opposite direction when they heard the voices.

The belief is rooted in Chinese mountain folklore, according to which supernatural beings are capable of imitating the voices of people familiar to those who become lost. Folklore warns that responding to such voices could supposedly cause a person's soul to be lured away, leaving them confused or putting them in greater danger. The superstition therefore led the pair to avoid what were actually genuine rescue attempts.

Their decision ultimately prolonged the search and left them stranded for several additional hours. The incident highlights how deeply rooted traditional beliefs can influence people's decisions even during emergencies. Fortunately, rescuers eventually located the pair and brought them to safety after their prolonged ordeal in the mountainous terrain.

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