Marathon runners caught on a mountain by bad weather that killed 21 people rescued by goat herder sheltering in nearby cave
- The goat herder said he was sheltering in his cave when he was awoken by a voice yelling for help
- Not all the runners were as lucky with 21 others reportedly killed by the storm
The 100km (62-mile) trail race in a mountainous scenic zone in Gansu was hit by bad weather, including gales, a sudden drop in temperature, hail and rain, soon after its 172 participants set off on Saturday morning.
Many of the runners were dressed only in shorts and running tops. A total of 21 runners were found dead, the remaining 151 were rescued, eight of whom sustained minor injuries.
Six of the competitors were saved by Zhu Keming, a 49-year-old goat herder who took them to a nearby cave he uses for shelter, The Beijing News reported.
Zhu said he was in a cave – where he usually stores clothing and food – sheltering from the harsh weather when he was awoken around 2pm by a voice yelling for help.
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Chinese goat herder saves 6 ultramarathon runners stranded on a mountain by extreme weather
It was a runner who was drenched from the storm and had an injured leg. Zhu gave the man a quilt and moved him near his fire to recover.