Crazy English man got lost in the Bogd Khaan Mountain and refused to be treated by Mongolian doctors

This is deja vue. Another western expatriate got lost in Bogd khan mountain in north of UB again. Last July, a young american man who was an intern in President's office froze to death in the mountain. The american hiked in the mountain with another expatriate and asked him to continue the journey without him as he was feeling tired and said he'll catch up with him in town. But he never came back to town. He got lost and wondered to mountain top with high cliffs.While it was scorching hot in UB, heavy rain storm hit that day. The man froze to death in the mountain top in middle of hot UB summer.Able bodied young man in his early 20s.

Now this time, a British man went to hike in the mountain. As usual, he got lost and whole British embassy was on its feet and started the search party. Luckily,he was found. The weirdest part is he refused to be treated by Mongolian doctors after he was found. The Mongolians wondered what a weird man. The doctors are there to help him... Maybe he thought he will catch infection:TB, AIDS.Mongolian hospitals like any other hospitals in world can offer emergency medical services without risk of infection. I remember one expatriate who got burnt his thigh by industrial boiler in a mine site. He was immediately taken to local soum (village) hospital and offered emergency help. Mongolian doctor was a young girl who just graduated Mongolian school of medicine. She treated the wound and put oil and bandaged it. The expatriate went home and treated by his local doctor. He recovered and came back to Mongolia and found the local Mongolian doctor and thanked her and passed words of his western doctor who said the oil and bandaging of mongolian doctor was very professional and therefore, i was able to continue the treatment.Thank her for your full recovery. Trust Mongolian doctors. Maybe they lack equipments and medicines. But they have good knowledge. Probably the weird British man will never get it.

So here is my advice to all expatriates who likes to hike. Don't go by yourself in the mountain. Maybe you are very able bodied man or woman. There is a reason that you don't hike in mountain by yourself. You will see that Mongolians always travel in groups in Bogd Khaan mountain. There is reason for it. It is very easy to get lost in that mountain. Check with your Mongolian colleagues for weather report and ask for advice. Just don't think " I can do it by myself. I jog everyday and I'm fit. I don't smoke or drink like these local Mongolians. I must be better and wiser than these people."

Here is Mongol Messenger story about that weird or crazy man. He must be real psycho. He claims he is buddhist who went to pray in monastery on other side of the mountain. Let be it. Maybe he should pay all the costs associated with finding him. Mongolian government does not have much extra money to spend for gone crazy englishman. One third of Mongolian's 2.9 mill people are living less than 2 dollars a day.


By Shagai, contributor of www.mongolianviews.com

Lost Englishman found safe and sound

On March 4, Zuunii Medee Daily reported that UK citizen David Mark who got lost on March 2 while travelling around Bogdkhan (strictly protected) Mountain, in the
southern part of Ulaanbaatar city, was found safe and sound. Over 200 staff members of emergency service searched for him and found him on March 3. As he phoned to the
British Embassy that he got lost and was freezing, the British Embassy
informed NEMA. David Mark’s feet were frozen and he was brought to a Trauma Hospital. He was so obstinate that he would not be treated in the hospital and ran away from the hospital in slippers.A physician despairingly said, “He ran away while his feet were frozen. I was surprised that he would run in slippers without any warm clothes. Both his feet were frozen senseless and his right hand was nearly frozen. He was so obstinate, saying “I will not be under treatment and my feet
will be okay after 30 minutes”. Our hospital’s chief urged him to stay because his feet were very frozen. The Englishman told the physician that he lost his way to Manzushir Monastery but last summer, he had found his way to the monastery alone.
Last year, David Mark studied at the National University of Mongolia as a
Mongolian language researcher and teaches English in Darkhan city. He is a Buddhist and got lost while going to the monastery for prayer. Ch. Namsraijav, Deputy Chief of Ulaanbaatar Emergency Department said, “More than 200 emergency workers, of which 50 were rescuers worked for 12 hours without interruption. It was so difficult
because Bogdkhan Mountain was covered with thick snow. He was scared and his hands and feet were very frozen. We found him 20km from Ulaanbaatar. The danger of freezing and/or being attacked by wolves was possible if search activity
went slower.”

By B.Ooluun

Source:Mongol Messenger-Mongolian English weekly newspaper