China man nearly suffocates in viral ‘zip tie challenge’, rescued after delivery worker alerts police

A risky online challenge took a frightening turn in southern China when a man nearly suffocated after tying himself up and failing to break free.A delivery worker passing heard the man’s cries and alerted the police. (Unsplash/Representational Image)The incident happened in Guangzhou, in Guangdong province, and was later shared the local fire department as a warning about dangerous viral trends.According to a report the South China Morning Post, the man had been attempting a so-called “zip tie escape challenge”, in which people bind themselves and then try to get free.According to officials, the man carried out the entire act on his own inside his rented home. He wrapped himself in a cotton quilt, secured himself with a fishing net, and then fastened multiple long zip ties from his neck down to his ankles. However, he was unable to escape.As he struggled, he began calling for help. A delivery worker passing heard his cries and alerted the police. Emergency responders soon arrived at the scene, forced open the gate, and found the man tightly bound on a bed.Also Read: 84-year-old Chinese woman falls for AI-generated ‘bossy president’, writes heartfelt lettersViral stunt sparks safety concerns:Firefighters quickly freed him. One of them, Liu Junjie, later said the situation had been extremely dangerous. Two zip ties placed around the man’s neck had put him at serious risk.Junjie said that if the man had struggled more, or if help had arrived later, the outcome could have been fatal.The case has drawn attention online, with many people questioning how the man managed to tie himself up so tightly. Some users said the scene could easily have been maken for a crime.Authorities said the challenge has been circulating online, with videos showing people attempting to escape from restraints. While some videos show successful attempts, others highlight failures, often relying on delivery workers to help free those who get stuck.Officials warned that such challenges can be risky and urged people not to copy them. Over time, several unusual and unsafe trends have spread online, including attempts where people trap themselves in confined spaces or bind their bodies in different ways before trying to escape.Also Read: 101-year-old Chinese woman who eats snacks at midnight, stays up late shares secret to long lifeDangerous viral trends resurface:From time to time, online challenges go viral, and some of them are risky and make little sense.One well-known example was the light bulb challenge. Some people did not believe a bulb could get stuck in the mouth, only to end up needing emergency help when it did.