Hiking Troublemaker? A hiking group from Pingtung embarked on a seven-day trek on the 19th, but things took a turn when a male member surnamed Yang left the group, prompting his teammates to call the police for help. However, the teammates repeatedly called for rescue and then changed their minds. Firefighters deployed 12 personnel and three helicopter sorties in rescue attempts that all turned up empty. When they finally located Yang, he claimed, “I don’t need medical treatment, I want to go home,” leaving rescuers stunned. The estimated cost of the rescue exceeded NT$3 million.
The hiking group had planned to trek from Dayuling’s Pingfeng Mountain and Qilai North Peak to Zhongzheng Yuewang Pavilion. On the first day of the seven-day trip, Yang left the group on his own, wandering the mountains without contacting his teammates. When the scheduled meeting time passed and Yang was nowhere to be found, his worried teammates reported the situation to the authorities on the 22nd, prompting the fire department to launch a land and air search operation.
The fire department noted that Yang, who had gone missing, said on the 21st that he didn’t need to be rescued. But on the 22nd, he called for help, complaining of foot and stomach pain, asking firefighters to come quickly. However, once the rescuers were assembled, Yang changed his mind again and said he didn’t need help. Just the rescue operation for Yang alone involved three helicopter sorties and 12 ground search personnel.
Air rescue personnel returned empty-handed on the morning of the 25th, but ground search teams finally met up with Yang and his party about 800 meters above Yuewang Pavilion. Yang was seen walking briskly and confidently declared that he didn’t need medical care and wanted to go home, leaving the rescuers feeling their efforts had been in vain. According to the Hualien County Mountain Activities Management Self-Governance Ordinance, if air rescue helicopters are deployed in mountain rescues, the fuel cost alone averages around NT$1.2 million, not including overtime pay, insurance fees for ground personnel, and subsequent medical expenses. The total public cost of the four-day rescue operation for Yang is estimated to have exceeded NT$3 million.