Two women and two children went missing while hiking on Beidelaman Mountain in Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County yesterday (17th), and the Hsinchu County Fire Bureau launched a search and rescue operation upon receiving the report, locating all four this morning.
The Hsinchu County Fire Bureau stated that yesterday, a group of 14 people formed a hiking party to visit the Beidelaman Sacred Tree Group and the area around Bird Beak Mountain. After reaching Bird Beak Mountain, they turned back and rested at the 1.6KM rest area on the Beidelaman Trail. However, the four hikers at the back reportedly got lost after straying from the correct path, and a man surnamed Tseng from the same group reported the incident.
After receiving the report, the fire bureau conducted two unsuccessful searches last night and resumed the rescue operation early this morning, finally locating the missing four. Fortunately, the group had brought enough warm clothing, and all four were in good health. The two children who could not walk were carried down the mountain by rescuers.
When rescuers found the four, they asked the two young children, "Who cried last night?" The two children pointed at each other, saying, "She cried" and "She cried the longest," which made the rescuers smile. Another child added innocently, "Mom said we had to sleep on the mountain, but I didn’t want to sleep on the mountain. I want to go home. I’m scared of scary ghosts."