Rescue relief lifeboat stolen by web celebrity team
A video screenshot shows the Internet celebrity team on the stolen lifeboat being stopped by the Blue Sky Rescue Team.
A lifeboat used for transferring flood disaster residents in Weihui City of central China's Henan Province was stolen by a wanghong (Internet celebrity) team on July 27, China Youth Daily reported.
"We had a lunch break and placed the lifeboat nearby, but found it disappear when we came back," Dong Lin, leader of the Huangshi Blue Sky Rescue Team, told the media.
The Blue Sky Rescue Team-branded lifeboat was found by Dong and his members after a four-hour search.
Five people on the lifeboat tried to flee but were stopped by rescue teams on the scene, Dong said.
The stolen lifeboat is inspected by the Blue Sky Rescue Team.
People who stole the lifeboat pretended to be trapped residents but their ploy was seen through by rescue team members.
"We met these people yesterday. They took photos in the floods and made live webcasts," Dong said.
"Many parts of the lifeboat were broken. The motor and main shaft have been seriously damaged, and the protective shaft has been smashed," an angry Dong said.
Searching for the stolen boat not only impacted the rescue progress of Dong's team, but also affected the whole Blue Sky system. "The resulting impact is very bad," Dong said.
Local police have started to investigate the issue.
