Rescue organizations in China

[Fred]

Great advice but who do you call to get you out so then you can start accessing your insurance especially if your in a remote area of China which most people want to do.

This I can answer :
- on the bottom of my chinese motorcycle insurance contract I have the emergency number to call in case of an accident : it is already in my phone contacts.
- for the international insurance, I also have their number, and a French SIM card with me, available to swap on my phone in case I need to call.

[TB-Racing]

Great advice but who do you call to get you out so then you can start accessing your insurance especially if your in a remote area of China which most people want to do.

G'Day,

Mate, your insurance company or any evacuation service associated with your insurance company.
Here is one as reference: http://www.internationalsos.com

Was evacuated after my nasty spill to HK via plane and with the assistance of a doctor / nurse coming up from HK to pick me up.
Accident happened on Friday afternoon and was in HK on Sunday morning, emergency treatment was done in Shanghai (let's not get into the horror story right now), everything afterwards in HK and some follow up surgery again in Huashan hospital (Shanghai) and a private foreign therapist for rehab (18 month).

[bigdamo]

I don't even think I can count on my wife.

This is what happened yesterday.

Meet this dude that is interested in my telemark skiing he does abit of skiing but more hiking in the mountains even in winter.Anyways he invites me to go with him and his friends hiking in the mountains bring your skis he says.Yeah I'm interested luckily me thinks go and look first see what the conditions are like don't take skis just go and hike.


Get there look at where we are going and he says straight up there I said that bowl would be good to ski but maybe good avalanche terrain he says whats that.

Anyways get up there 3-4 inches of reasonably fresh snow on a vague trail straight up the mountain you could put your arm out and touch the slope so pretty steep I'm going why don't we zig zag up here, he goes what for, I say this is too dangerous he say nah it's ok, I say what if you slip and fall easily done I said, he says nah that won't happen but if it does you will just slide down the mountain on your back and come to a stop I say I'm out of here.Don't know how he planed to do a 180 and turn on to his back but didn't plan to find out.Anyways they spent the next two hours traipsing over the mountain while I went back to the car.Chinese have no idea about danger even after it hits them.

Anyways I ring my wife and say come and get me these people will be hours I bailed on them.Where are you? she says I am near the cemetery I say.Which cemetery? she says There is only one cemetery in your town I say. I don't know it she says.Catch the bus home she says.The bus doesn't come for another three hours I say.



She did the same thing back home when I came off my MTB and broke some ribs rang her she couldn't work out where I was and I had to walk home 3 kilometers with broken ribs.

She's useless too.

[chinabiker]

Usually I didn't ride alone, so there was always someone available to call.

For the times I rode alone, I let someone know where I was going and transmitted my GPS position every 15mins or so by SMS to my server, so people I wanted to know my position, could follow me on Google Maps / Earth.
In remote areas, where it had to be estimated that phone reception could be an issue, I sent additional messages with current and next intended points.
Further I had a large piece of paper in the transparent top cover of my tank bag with emergency instructions in Chinese and English.

I also attended a intensive 3 days first aid course in Europe and always carried a extended medical kit with me.
The course was besides the standard first aid, specialized for road accidents and also covered some basic medical diagnosis / treatment - almost a must for long distance travelers.

Safe riding everyone

[Lao Jia Hou]

Who do they call?

In most cases, the first point of contact would be the police. If they have info on the situation, and the precise location, they can probably make appropriate arrangements, or provide local advice. For example, I used to live in a semi-remote area up north, and it was well known that if one needed medical treatment, a taxi was the only way to go. Any other form of medical evac (including an ambulance) was not worth considering. You'd die before they ever showed up. Only a local would know that.

One of the problems with touring around remote areas that you are unfamiliar with, is that you are not really sure where exactly you might be ... aside from "somewhere between where I left and where I am heading." If you're banged up, it is quite likely you are not thinking clearly and logically (hence, the advantage of a riding buddy).

Based on my own extended & remote tour experience from decades ago, I became somewhat neurotic about remote/extended touring. Subsequently decided to get my basic First Aid ticket, to always carry a kit, and even carry bizarre things like a snake bite kit (half the size of a pack of smokes).

IMHO, it is all part of trip planning.

Despite this, a buddy of mine just finished 6 countries in SE Asia, solo, on a Harley (with a fake Chinese plate, no less), over 8 weeks ... traversing several remote areas. Throwing caution to the wind, he tells me he had a blast. Me, the nervous nelly, probably would've spoiled his carefree adventure if I had come along.

[bigdamo]

In most cases, the first point of contact would be the police. If they have info on the situation, and the precise location, they can probably make appropriate arrangements, or provide local advice. For example, I used to live in a semi-remote area up north, and it was well known that if one needed medical treatment, a taxi was the only way to go. Any other form of medical evac (including an ambulance) was not worth considering. You'd die before they ever showed up. Only a local would know that.

One of the problems with touring around remote areas that you are unfamiliar with, is that you are not really sure where exactly you might be ... aside from "somewhere between where I left and where I am heading." If you're banged up, it is quite likely you are not thinking clearly and logically (hence, the advantage of a riding buddy).

Based on my own extended & remote tour experience from decades ago, I became somewhat neurotic about remote/extended touring. Subsequently decided to get my basic First Aid ticket, to always carry a kit, and even carry bizarre things like a snake bite kit (half the size of a pack of smokes).

IMHO, it is all part of trip planning.

Despite this, a buddy of mine just finished 6 countries in SE Asia, solo, on a Harley (with a fake Chinese plate, no less), over 8 weeks ... traversing several remote areas. Throwing caution to the wind, he tells me he had a blast. Me, the nervous nelly, probably would've spoiled his carefree adventure if I had come along.

I am also turning into a somewhat nervous nelly must be my old age and where I live.Hence why I started this thread.

[bigdamo]

Usually I didn't ride alone, so there was always someone available to call.

For the times I rode alone, I let someone know where I was going and transmitted my GPS position every 15mins or so by SMS to my server, so people I wanted to know my position, could follow me on Google Maps / Earth.
In remote areas, where it had to be estimated that phone reception could be an issue, I sent additional messages with current and next intended points.
Further I had a large piece of paper in the transparent top cover of my tank bag with emergency instructions in Chinese and English.

I also attended a intensive 3 days first aid course in Europe and always carried a extended medical kit with me.
The course was besides the standard first aid, specialized for road accidents and also covered some basic medical diagnosis / treatment - almost a must for long distance travelers.

Safe riding everyone

When are you coming back I need a riding Buddy like you.

[fahni]

I remember reading about Chinas efforts to establish a unified, nation-wide rescue team system months ago. It seems there is no unified rescue service in place. So I guess there is also no unified number. Police or ambulance might be your best bet for the moment. I would always have the number of a person fluent in English and Chinese on speed dial and if anyway possible give this person access to my coordinates via GPS.

[TB-Racing]

I remember reading about Chinas efforts to establish a unified, nation-wide rescue team system months ago. It seems there is no unified rescue service in place. So I guess there is also no unified number. Police or ambulance might be your best bet for the moment. I would always have the number of a person fluent in English and Chinese on speed dial and if anyway possible give this person access to my coordinates via GPS.

G'Day,

Remember when China became a full member of the WTO and one of the agreements stated they will accept overseas driving license in ML China? Still waiting after all this years....

Bringing a large sum of cash US$ helps as well during an accident..... $$$$'s always talk in this lovely country.

[bigdamo]

Maybe this is the way to go http://www.findmespot.com/en/ when I checked with them a few years ago spots coverage of China was pretty limited now it has expanded to most of China just the west of Xin jiang and the west of big T are a bit sketchy http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php?cid=109