Mountain troublemaker? A 65-year-old man from Pingtung, surnamed Yang, joined a group of six on September 19 planning a seven-day hiking trip. Unexpectedly, on the third day, Yang wandered off on his own, scaring his teammates into calling the police for help. Yang and his companions repeatedly called for rescue and then changed their minds. Firefighters deployed 12 personnel and three helicopter sorties in rescue attempts that all failed to locate him. When they finally found Yang, he responded with “I don’t need medical treatment, I just want to go home,” leaving rescuers stunned.
The six-person hiking group, including Yang, had planned a seven-day trek from Dayuling’s Pingfeng Mountain and Qilai North Peak to Zhongzhong’s Yuewang Pavilion. On the third day, Yang wandered off alone in the mountains, failing to send his coordinates or contact his teammates. When the reunion time passed with no sign of him, his teammates, alarmed, called the police. After receiving the report, the fire department launched a land-and-air search, only to be met with Yang’s indecisive attitude toward being rescued.
According to the fire department, Yang, who had gone missing, said on September 21 that he didn’t need to be rescued. But on September 22, he called again complaining of foot and stomach pain, urging rescuers to come quickly. Once the rescue team assembled, Yang changed his mind again and said he didn’t need help. Just for Yang’s rescue operation, three helicopter sorties and 12 ground search personnel were deployed.
This morning, air rescue personnel returned empty-handed, but ground searchers finally met up with Yang and his group about 800 meters above Yuewang Pavilion. Yang was seen walking down the mountain with ease and confidently stated he didn’t need medical care and just wanted to go home. The rescuers could only shake their heads and call the effort a waste.
According to the Hualien County Mountain Activities Management Self-Governance Ordinance, if an aerial helicopter is deployed for mountain rescues, the average fuel cost for one round trip is about 1.2 million NTD, not including overtime pay, insurance fees for ground personnel, or subsequent medical expenses. Calculated this way, the total cost of the four-day rescue for Yang exceeded 3 million NTD of public funds.
The fire department pointed out that Yang met the regulations under the mountain hiking ordinance, and no illegal behavior has been discovered so far. Further detailed investigation is still underway. Rescue officer Chien Hung-cheng noted that mountain rescue is a race against time. If the public proactively and promptly contacts authorities, rescue efforts can be carried out effectively—avoiding situations where rescuers are left clueless and resources are wasted.
(China Times)