Hiker cheats death as he films himself falling down a mountain

by · Mail Online

A hiker is lucky to be alive after he went careering down the side of a mountain in China - and captured the miraculous moment he was saved on camera.

Yang Meng, 42, and a friend were hiking in the Fanzengjian mountains in southeastern China on Monday with a 360-degree camera in tow.

Anhui province had been pounded by rain in the days following the pair's hike due to Typhoon Bebinca.

As Yang and his pal made their way up a particularly steep and slippery section of rock, the 42-year-old hiker lost his grip and went careering down the side of the mountain.

Recalling the heartstopping moment, Yang told CNN: 'I realized I couldn't get up at all and was sliding faster and faster, that's when it hit me – I must be falling off a cliff.'

Yang Meng (left) and his friend hike up a mountain in southeastern China on Monday
A 360-degree camera captures the pair attempting to take on a rain-soaked section of rock

Horrifying footage shows Yang skidding down the mountain on his hands and knees.

The video was posted on China's version of TikTok - Douyin - and has amassed more than 280,000 likes.

As the video continues, Yang appears to scream as he plummets down towards the cliff face and frantically looks around for something to grab onto.

Suddenly he hits a tree which breaks his fall.

In the final moments of the video, Yang lifts his left hand to inspect the damage.

'I guess I came out mostly unscathed,' Yang revealed today. 'Just a little scrape on my left hand and a small cut on my thigh. Other than that, I was fine.'

Yang appeared to scream as he skidded down the mountain on his hands and knees
A tree appears in the distance as Yang continues to career down the mountain
In the final moments of the video, Yang is seen looking at his left hand. He walked away from the incident 'mostly unscathed' with a 'little scrape' on his hand and a 'small cut' on his thigh

Shocked users on Dinyun have taken to the comments to express just how lucky the hiker is to be alive.

Others were thankful that the tree was in line with Yang's fall to save him.

The near-death experience has made Yang reflect on the meaning of life.

'Life is really short, so we need to cherish every day,' he said. 'I won’t let this incident hold me back. If anything, it’s pushing me to explore the world even more.'