Beijing News (reporter Zuo Lin intern Wu Mengzhen) Recently, some netizens said that Zheng, a 16-year-old high school student in Beijing, died in a desert expedition organized by the China Adventure Association. On August 5, the official microblog of the China Adventure Association issued a statement confirming that an accident had occurred in the Teengo Tengger Desert Adventure Project organized by it, in which a 16-year-old child died unexpectedly.
Fellow traveler Ma Hui (pseudonym) told the Beijing News reporter that at about 12 noon on July 29, Zheng suddenly lay down in front of the sand slope, "The leader of the team thought that Zheng was not heat stroke, and he still had strength, so he asked him to continue walking." After climbing the sand slope, Zheng rolled down from the top of the slope. Because there was no signal in the desert, Ma Hui and the driver and the team leader drove Zheng to the highway to contact the ambulance, which took at least 30 minutes, and from the time Zheng rolled down the hill to the ambulance, it took at least 1 and a half hours, "the whole time I didn't see the satellite phone." In the ambulance, Ma Hui listened to the doctor and said that Zheng had no vital signs.
On August 10, the staff of the China Adventure Association told the Beijing News that the association held similar activities in accordance with the formal process, there are corresponding emergency plans, all youth projects have been suspended, and the association and the leading teachers are cooperating with the police investigation. One of the team leaders responded that the investigation is still under way, and the results released by the public security organs shall prevail.
Hiking trails shown on the project's promotional materials. Courtesy of respondents
Companions: Driving to the highway only has a signal to call the emergency number, and no medical related personnel have been seen during the whole process
According to the project publicity materials obtained by the Beijing News reporter, the name of the project involved is "Agitated Yellow Sand - Exploring tengger youth adventure scientific expedition training camp", which is from July 25 to August 3, the cost is 22,500 yuan, and participants must complete 100 kilometers of hiking in 7 days, while learning desert survival courses, and conducting research on the ecological impact of desert hydrological resources, desertification control and soil erosion.
According to the official website of the China Adventure Association, the project belongs to the "Youth Adventure Scientific Expedition Training Camp" project, which lasts from July 12, 2021 to January 11, 2022, together with the activities of exploring the Coral Sea, exploring the source of the Three Rivers, and exploring the ancient country of the Western Region.
Introduction to the activity course on the project promotional materials. Courtesy of respondents
Ma Hui told the Beijing News reporter that he and Zheng were students in the International Department of a high school in Beijing, and before that, the China Adventure Association had come to the school to publicize the activity, "Originally, Zheng wanted to go to Sanjiangyuan, but because the number of applicants for the project of Sanjiangyuan and the desert was too small, the last two projects merged into the desert project." Ma Hui said.
Ma Hui introduced that the students participating in the activity were 8 people, and there were also two leaders of the China Exploration Association, a driver and two researchers who entered the desert, in addition to three or four logistics personnel waiting outside the desert. A chat record obtained by the reporter shows that on June 17, the association's customer service promised the parents of the consulted students that the "Youth Adventure Expedition Training Camp" project had a team doctor, and the "Emergency Response Plan for the Risk and Crisis of the Youth Adventure Expedition Training Camp Activities" provided by the association also indicated that the security management group included a medical rescue team, which was professionally guaranteed by local doctors and nurses with medical qualifications, and the tutor coach and the full-time rescue team coordinated to ensure the protection, but Ma Hui said that "there were no medically-related personnel throughout the process."
According to Ma Hui's recollection, from July 25 to 26 before entering the desert, the staff of the China Exploration Association gathered classmates to introduce the precautions, including travel arrangements and procurement plans, "There was very little training on safety measures, I only remember saying that when it was dangerous, three people should accompany each other, one person took care of this person, and the other person went to ask for help. As for the "basic hemostatic bandaging skills and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)" mentioned in the project's promotional materials, Ma Hui said, "I can say with certainty that this is not." ”
On July 29, the group's hiking goal was 18 kilometers, which was "the longest distance in nearly 3 days". Due to the late sleep of the students the night before, the departure time was changed from the original 5:00 to about 8:30. Ma Hui said that before 10 o'clock in the morning, the weather is usually cooler, but the somatosensory temperature reaches more than 30 ° C at noon. On that day, one of the tour leaders was unable to accompany him due to a broken shoe, and only one leader followed the whole trip.
During the morning's march, the team walked 6-8 kilometers and rested at least 3 times, with a total of 30 or 40 minutes of rest. Each of the 8 team members has a backpack containing clothes, ingredients, utensils, tent supports, etc. At the first break, Zheng felt that the bag was a bit heavy, Ma Hui proposed to change the bag, he estimated that Zheng's backpack was about 20 kilograms, "After changing the bag, I also felt very tired." ”
Ma Hui said that at about 12:00 noon that day, Zheng suddenly lay down in front of the sand slope, "The leader of the team thought that Zheng was not heat stroke and still had strength, so he asked him to continue walking." ”
The accident site is about one or two hundred meters away from the camp, but there are some sand slopes in the middle, so it is not easy to walk. Zheng slowly climbed to the top of the slope and fell down again, the leader insisted that he finish, and Zheng rolled down from the top of the slope.
Ma Hui recalled that after Zheng rolled down the sand slope, the leader asked the other students to return to the camp for dinner. After Ma Hui finished eating, he heard that Zheng's face was not right, and he needed to call an ambulance, but because there was no signal, Ma Hui and the driver and the team leader drove Zheng to the highway, and then contacted the ambulance, which took at least 30 minutes, and from the discovery of Zheng students rolling down the sand slope to the ambulance, it took at least 1 and a half hours, "The whole process did not see the satellite phone." In the ambulance, Ma Hui listened to the doctor and said that Zheng had no vital signs.
On the morning of July 28, event participant Ma Hui (pseudonym) photographed the Tengger Desert. Courtesy of respondents
Before departure, I signed an exemption agreement, and the China Exploration Association is cooperating with the police investigation
The China Adventure Association said in a statement that it expressed deep condolences for the loss of young lives, while initiating internal audit procedures and conducting emergency safety inspections of all projects to avoid similar accidents.
On the morning of the 10th, the reporter called the China Adventure Association, and the staff responded that the association would hold similar activities from time to time, all in accordance with the formal process, and there was also a corresponding emergency plan. "We, as well as the teachers who lead the team this time, are also cooperating with the police investigation." Another member of the association said that all youth programs have been suspended at present.
The leader of the team on foot told the Beijing News reporter that the current situation is still under investigation, subject to the results announced by the public security organs, and other questions can be asked to the China Exploration Association.
According to the association's official website, the team leader is an expedition leader instructor of the China Adventure Association, a mountain outdoor instructor of the China Mountaineering Association, an outdoor coach of the Peak Outdoor Sports School, a senior lecturer of the LNT national outdoor leadership school in the United States, a ski instructor at the Swiss National Ski School, a first responder of the International Association of Wild Medicine, a youth mentor and a peak coach. In 2014, Beijing set off to cycle around Xinjiang, 7500 kilometers in 70 days; in 2015, the Silk Road cycled to Rome; many times explored the Xinjiang Shat Ancient Road, Wusun Ancient Road, etc.; many times explored the Wolf Tower C+V, Ring Bogda, Huangongga, Aotai, Locke and other routes; climbed Haba, Yuzhu, Muztag and other snowy mountains.
The leader of the Xinjiang Orchid Outdoor Club told the Beijing News that in the general desert adventure activity project, 8 members with 1 team leader are enough. However, due to the lack of outdoor experience of teenagers, it is best for the organizer to have two teachers, one to lead the team in the front and one person to collect the team in the back to ensure the safety of all personnel. Where the signal is not good, it should also be equipped with communication equipment such as satellite phones.
"Accompanying team doctors are charged, and expedition organizations may consider the cost of the project and decide whether they will have team doctors." The team leader said that at present, the domestic outdoor adventure equipped with the team medical care is relatively small, "the leader generally has to master the basic rescue knowledge, if the team members in the process of exploration uncomfortable situation, should be reflected in time, the leader should see the situation should also be dealt with in time." ”
Jane Jane, a senior outdoor team leader of the GREEN ORG self-service outdoor activity organization platform, believes that from the current information, the leader's judgment of the risk is not accurate enough, "After a long time outdoors, you know that you should give up when you should give up, save people when you should save people, and do your best to ensure life safety is the first." Even if you exercise character, you must ensure the safety of life and then do education. She said that according to her more than ten years of heavy-duty hiking experience, hiking in the desert should be taken with the wind, because "hard sand uphill and soft sand downhill will save physical strength", it is not recommended to enter the sand in June, July and August, because at this time, "the temperature is too high", even if you enter the desert, you should avoid traveling at noon.
The Beijing News reporter learned that the students involved in the activities involved signed the "Youth Adventure Expedition Training Camp" risk notification and disclaimer with the China Adventure Association, which wrote that the organizer purchased personal accident insurance (the maximum limit for minors is 500,000 yuan) and accidental injury medical insurance (insurance amount of 5,000 yuan) for each student, "The students participating in this activity and their guardians need to agree not to bear any liability other than insurance for injuries, deaths or any other forms of losses caused by the organizer's subjective reasons." Nor shall the student and his/her guardian make any claim other than insurance liability against the organizer, the school and the staff for any reason. ”
In this regard, lawyer Liu Changsong, director of Beijing Mugong Law Firm, said that if Zheng did have symptoms such as physical weakness and serious physical discomfort during the march, the expedition team did not give timely assistance and violated his obligations. As long as there is a certain causal relationship between the negligence of the expedition team and the death of Student Zheng, it should bear civil liability equivalent to negligence, even if the exemption agreement is signed.
On August 5, the official microblog of the China Adventure Association released a statement. Screenshot of Weibo
The China Adventure Association has no professional supervisory unit and has been included in the list of abnormal activities of social organizations
According to the official website of the China Adventure Association, the association was established in March 1993 and is the industry association and the highest organization of China's adventure industry. In April 2019, the association issued the first batch of standards in the field of exploration in China, "Basic Ability Requirements for Adventure Leaders" and "Requirements for Safety Management System for Adventure Tourism Enterprises", and later formulated the "Explorer Behavior Guide", "Outdoor Adventure Emergency Rescue Guide", "Adventure Trail Construction Code", "Adventure Camp Planning, Design and Construction Code".
The reporter consulted the Government Service Platform of Chinese Social Organizations sponsored by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and found that the business supervisory unit of the association was changed from "Ministry of Natural Resources" to "Central and State Organs Working Committee" since 2017, and at the same time, the "List of Conclusions of the National Social Groups 2017 (5th Batch) Annual Inspection" published on the website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in December 2018 showed that the column of the business supervisory unit of the China Adventure Association showed that it had been "decoupled".
The reporter called the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and the staff said that the Ministry of Civil Affairs is a registration management organ, and "it has been decoupled" means that there is no professional supervisory unit, and its party building work is under the management of the central and state organ working committees.
The reporter found on the national social organization credit information publicity platform sponsored by the Ministry of Civil Affairs that the party building work body of the association is indeed the working committee of the central and state organs, the certificate of the association is valid from October 9, 2019 to October 9, 2024, the business scope is international cooperation, organizing adventures, academic research, professional exhibitions, business training, consulting services, and the annual inspection results are "qualified" or "basically qualified" except for 2017.
In July 2018, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued an administrative penalty of warning to five associations, including the China Adventure Association, saying that they had failed to accept the annual inspection of the 2016 national social groups in accordance with the regulations, which violated the provisions of Article 28 of the Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Social Groups (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), and the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued an administrative penalty of warnings to the five associations in accordance with the Regulations, and included them in the list of abnormal social organization activities.
Edited by Liu Qian
Proofreading Li Lijun