The bikini-clad hiker, 36-year-old Wu Jiyun, entered the mountains alone on November 11 from Dongpu in Nantou County to tackle the Southern Section Three of the Taiwan Hundred Peaks. The day before yesterday, she slipped and fell nearly 20 meters into a valley near Punjiushan, injuring herself and becoming immobile. She used a satellite phone to call for help from fellow hikers. Ground rescue personnel from the Nantou Fire Bureau are expected to reach the last reported location of Wu as early as noon today.
The toned Wu Jiyun is somewhat well-known in the hiking community, often seen posing in bikinis atop Taiwan’s high peaks. She once tallied on Facebook that she had hiked for 127 days in the previous year alone, and her fan page “G-哥’s Bikini Mountain Footprints” has nearly 4,000 followers.
In fact, on December 24 of last month, Wu Jiyun posted on Facebook about her 25-day hiking route and mentioned planning to eat a big meal after descending the mountain: “Tonight I’ll eat some meat first, then see the doctor tomorrow.” Later, however, she posted photos in the comments showing her slender legs covered in scrapes and bruises.
She revealed: “I really did nearly lose my life. My friends saw where I slipped, how I got stuck, and then had to climb back up in full gear to safety. While climbing, I truly hoped that some miraculous rescue team would suddenly appear. If I hadn’t gotten a good grip, I would have plummeted straight down. When I called for help on the satellite phone, I cried for ten minutes—it wasn’t fake crying.” Unexpectedly, less than a month later, Wu Jiyun fell into the valley again, but fortunately, this time she had a satellite phone and GPS equipment with her, which should lead to a successful rescue and her safe return.