Altitude illness victim's parents say goodbye

People should not underestimate potential danger of ailment: expert

The parents of Jin Ling, a Shanghai hiker who died of altitude sickness in Lhasa on Friday, have flown to Tibet to bid a final farewell to their daughter.

Her parents, both in their 60s, arrived in the capital of Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region on Monday to attend her funeral and made plans to carry her ashes back to Shanghai on Wednesday.

Jin, who would have celebrated her 31st birthday on Oct 21, attracted widespread attention from users of the micro-blogging website Sina Weibo with her death. A group of them started an online campaign to raise money to help her parents pay for their flight to Lhasa, eventually collecting more than 15,000 yuan ($2,400).

Jin Ling in a picture she took of herself and posted on her micro blog this year. [Photo/China Daily]

Last week, Jin began to suffer the symptoms of altitude sickness - such as incessant coughing and a high fever - while she was on the Xinjiang-Tibet highway, one of the most difficult overland routes to travel in the region.

Despite her illness, she continued her trip with three other hikers she met on road.

She fainted on Friday and later died.

At an altitude of more than 2,400 meters, the atmosphere contains roughly 25 percent less oxygen than at sea level. Ngari's Burang county, where Jin died, lies more than 4,500 meters above the sea.

The 30-year-old Jin quit her job two years ago to travel across the country. Her death shocked her friends on the tour and raised questions about tourism safety.

Wu Yanyan, 24, a real estate consultant from Shanghai who spent the recent National Day holiday in Tibet, said travelers should remember to respect nature and not set out to "conquer it".

"Pushing the limit doesn't necessarily make you into a hero," she said. "In Jin's case, she should have got some rest and gone for treatment at a nearby hospital."

Doctors and professionals said travelers should make sure to prepare themselves adequately before they travel to Tibet.

"Older people should undergo a medical examination before they go there," said Dechen, a doctor who specializes in treating the sickness. "People with diabetes mellitus and heart disease shouldn't go. As for young people, they should get plenty of rest before setting out and shouldn't do anything strenuous during the first couple of days they are there."

A large percentage of the patients who go to Lhasa People's Hospital are tourists suffering from altitude sickness, according to Dechen.

"People react differently to altitude sickness. Their symptoms could be as mild as dizziness or headaches. But once you're coughing and running a fever, it's essential that you undergo an examination at a nearby hospital as soon as possible. The sickness can lead to the worst-case scenario within a night."

Da Qiong in Lhasa contributed to this story.

shiyingying@chinadaily.com.cn