The incident on August 15 took place in the Yangjiaotang waterfall area in central China. A tourist named Tang was the first in his group to dare to descend by rope. However, after covering about half the distance, the situation became dangerous.
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The video shows the man hanging in front of the waterfall, with a powerful stream of water flowing directly at him. The tourist, buffeted by the current, spins, waves his arms and legs, trying to hold on and breathe. Below are rocks.
Tang himself said he spent about five minutes in that position. Later he said he was choking on water and had difficulty breathing.
“When I climbed into the water, I realized the current was quite strong, but the instructor said I could descend. As soon as I was in the water, the current immediately pushed me away and I submerged several times,” the tourist said.
The rescued man was diagnosed with multiple abrasions and soft tissue injuries. In the evening, after returning to Zhengzhou, he had difficulty walking and asked the company that organized the activity to help him get to the hospital.
At the hospital, Tang spent two days in the psychiatric department. He was diagnosed with an acute stress reaction.
The tourist claimed that after the incident, the tour guide did not check on his condition all the way to the vehicle, and only the group members traveling with him comforted him.
“Only my teammates calmed me down because I was bruised and had suffered several injuries,” Tang said.
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The versions of the tourist and organizers differed
Later, the man was informed that the company’s insurance would cover the medical expenses, but Tang demanded additional compensation. He sought reimbursement for lost income, psychological damage, and items taken by the water.
However, the company organizing the activity disagreed with part of his story. The company’s manager Guo stated that when the tourist got into trouble, the group leader reacted immediately.
“When he was flooded by water, our group leader quickly rushed to rescue him. The whole process took almost three minutes. After pulling the man out, he was asked about his condition and his body was examined. There was a red mark around his waist, and he said he had swallowed water, felt dizzy and nauseous,” Guo said.
Compensation demanded
According to the company, the tourist initially requested about £5,500 (around €6,000) in compensation for psychological damage, later reducing this amount to about £2,200. The company did not satisfy the claim, stating it had not received supporting medical documents.
The organizers said they later offered to refund the money paid for the activity, pay compensation equal to twice the booking price, and cover medical expenses. However, the parties failed to reach an agreement.
“We do not deny that this experience was very unpleasant for him. Psychological trauma can vary in scale, so there must be certain criteria. After treatment, based on the medical diagnosis, we will be able to discuss it,” said the company’s manager.
After the incident, the company suspended trips on this waterfall route for organized groups. Local authorities and tourism representatives stated that the accident occurred in an undeveloped area, and the circumstances of the incident are still being investigated.
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