Yesterday (September 30), a Sunday with rare sunny weather, a large group of 29 friends and family set off from Taipei to hike and enjoy the autumn scenery at Nanya Rock Formations in the Northeast Coast. However, in the afternoon, they got lost due to unfamiliarity with the trails and quickly called for help. Since there were children in the group, Ruifang police and firefighters took the situation seriously and promptly dispatched 15 officers for the search and rescue mission. Fortunately, the group was successfully located and escorted out of the mountains.
The police stated that they received a report yesterday about a hiking group lost near Nanya Rock Formations. With the sky darkening and risks increasing, emergency responders quickly assembled a 15-person rescue team from Bitou Police Station, Ruifang, and Jiufen Fire Stations to conduct the search.
Using the coordinates provided by the reporting party, the rescue team determined that the hiking group was likely lost somewhere along the ridge between Bitou and Nanya Mountain, close to Nanya Rock Formations. Responders immediately began their ascent from the Nanya Rock Formations trailhead and successfully located the group around 7:30 p.m. Thankfully, no one in the group was injured, though some children were exhausted.
With the assistance of police and firefighters, the hiking group was safely escorted down the mountain at 11:10 p.m. The relieved group expressed immense gratitude for the rescuers after their harrowing experience.
The male leader surnamed Chen said that they were drawn by the beautiful scenery of the ninth ridge among the famed Golden 12 Ridges, so they gathered fellow enthusiasts for a family-friendly climb along the ridge, starting from Haiyuan Trail to the Nanya Rock section. They had originally planned to descend in the afternoon but strayed onto a wrong path due to tall grass obscuring the route. He expressed regret for mobilizing such a large rescue effort and deep appreciation for the police and firefighters’ help.
Chen Liang-de, head of Ruifang Police Precinct, urged that while mountain scenery is stunning, it also holds hidden dangers. He advised that groups, especially those with children, should pay attention to travel time and ensure they can return within daylight. He also reminded hikers to assess their physical ability before setting out and to stay highly vigilant about route accuracy while enjoying the views to avoid potential harm.
(China Times)