Two pensioners nearly died in the mountains of China due to a fear of demons. The lost man and woman heard rescuers calling for them but believed it was an evil spirit trying to lure them into a trap, according to the South China Morning Post.
The incident occurred in Huairou County, near Beijing. The 73-year-old man and his 58-year-old neighbor went into the mountains to collect herbs on the evening of July 29 and disappeared. Both are hearing impaired. They had no water, food, or cell phones with them.
Rescuers were forced to search for their neighbors. The operation lasted 17 hours, and the pensioners were found approximately 30 hours after their disappearance. By then, both were extremely exhausted.
An unusual detail was later revealed. The man and woman had heard the search party’s cries much earlier, but instead of following the voices, they deliberately moved in the opposite direction.
The reason turned out to be local superstition. The pensioners believed that in the mountains, you shouldn’t answer anyone calling your name. According to legend, human voices can be imitated by mountain demons, who are supposedly capable of stealing a person’s soul or possessing them.
The neighbors only decided to call for help after rescuers approached them from the other side of the mountain. Following this incident, Huairou firefighters urged residents not to venture into the wild mountainous areas alone and to disregard superstitions in case of emergency.
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