A 30-year-old man surnamed Lan and three friends set out to hike Beichadian Mountain in Fuxing District, Taoyuan City, on the 5th to admire the snowy mountain scenery. However, after getting separated from the group, Lan became disoriented. The Taoyuan City Fire Department formed a rescue team to search for him and found him in the evening suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion, then rescued him.
The firefighters stated that the four hikers had met via the Line messaging app and agreed to go snow-viewing at Beichadian Mountain. The group of four started from the trailhead, and after passing Baisha Waterfall, Lan, citing concerns about his personal gear and ignoring the advice of the other three hikers, left the group. He attempted to return alone to the original meeting point at the trailhead via the same route but got lost due to unfamiliarity with the terrain.
At 17:59 on the 5th, the Taoyuan City Government Fire Department’s Duty Command Center received a report from the public requesting assistance in searching for Lan. The Fuxing Fire Station immediately prepared equipment and headed to the trailhead to meet the reporting person, understand the situation, and contact Lan via mobile phone. At that time, Lan clearly stated that he did not need rescuers’ help and claimed to have found his own way back to the trailhead in the dark. Rescue personnel, out of caution, repeatedly confirmed his physical condition and remained on standby at the trailhead.
At 19:35, they contacted Lan again, and this time he said he was trapped by a stream on the mountain trail and urgently needed rescue. To improve rescue efficiency, the rescuers asked the reporting hiker to accompany them into the mountains. When they reached Lan, they found him drenched, shivering, and pressed against the corner of a mountain wall. Rescuers immediately assessed that he showed mild signs of hypothermia and exhaustion. They gave him warm water to drink to raise his body temperature, allowed him to rest briefly, and then guided and assisted him down the mountain, concluding the rescue mission.
Huang Shizhong, captain of the Fire Department’s Fourth Battalion, urged that mountain weather is highly changeable, so hikers should be accompanied by professional guides or those familiar with the terrain and must complete legal mountain-entry registration before engaging in hiking activities. He also emphasized special caution in severe weather—urging people not to hike at all, let alone leave the group or hike alone—to avoid accidents where no help is available and to reduce rescue difficulties.
(China Times)