China woman nearly dies after becoming tangled in fishing line while riding bike at night

A Chinese woman said she was nearly killed by a fishing line while riding past a crowded bridge, sparking safety concerns online.The woman surnamed Wang, from Hangzhou, eastern China’s Zhejiang province, shared her hair-raising experience on the night of May 23.She and her friend were riding electric bikes on a bicycle lane of the Fuxing bridge in the city, when a fishing line suddenly wrapped around her throat.Wang was left with a lasting mark on her neck, above, as a result of the incident. Photo: myzakerIt happened too fast that she did not have time to stop the bike. The line kept tightening around her neck. She immediately pulled the line away from her neck and her friend rushed to her help.Wang said she was lucky that the line snapped in just a few seconds.“It was not us who broke it. It was stretched by a pole and snapped by itself.”The woman immediately posted the incident on social media, saying she still had lingering fear.“I was lucky to not have my throat cut. My neck was burning when it caught the wind on my way home.”Wang was riding along a cycle lane, above, when the fishing line caught her. Photo: myzakerWang went home by herself, and did not track down the person responsible for her injury.She suspected that it was one of the anglers on the bridge.The bridge, which was with busy traffic, is also a popular spot among local anglers. Wang said she saw at least 20 of them that evening.“They were not on the observation platform. They just simply fished on the bicycle lane,” Wang said.An official, in black above, warns a fisherman about the dangers of his pursuit on the bridge. Photo: myzakerThe bicycle lane on the bridge is narrow, often with both pedestrians and bike riders occupying the lane at the same time. Some also ride in the wrong direction.Further ReadingThe complicated lane is also occupied by the anglers’ fishing equipment.Wang is not the only person to complain about being hurt by fishing lines on the bridge.Some people also expressed safety concerns and urged the authorities to ban fishing on the bridge and on public roads.“She should call the police immediately and get all the anglers there punished,” one person said.“There have been many cases of people being hurt by fishing lines or kite strings on the roads. Fishing and flying kites must be limited in certain areas,” said another.A pair of electric bicycle riders whizz along a road in China’s capital, Beijing. Photo: Shutterstock“Fishing can be very dangerous to passers-by. The responsible person was literally committing a negligent injury crime,” said a third.There have also been reports of people being injured by fishing hooks cast by anglers.A firefighter in Beijing suggested that fishing enthusiasts should prioritise safety when they select fishing spots and they should not be on main city roads or parks with big crowds.The authorities that manage the bridge said they had enhanced their patrols and persuaded anglers to leave when they saw them.