A woman surnamed Liang and fellow hikers were descending when she exhibited symptoms of hypothermia and confusion upon returning to the mountain hut yesterday. The Taichung City Fire Department dispatched personnel today (the 14th) to the incident site. They assessed that the woman likely had altitude sickness, and due to poor weather conditions, a helicopter rescue was not possible. She will be carried down the mountain manually.
The Taichung City Fire Department issued a press release today stating that the 45-year-old woman surnamed Liang and her group of 12 hikers had applied for a permit to enter the mountain area through the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters. They began their hike on the 12th, but on the 13th, after reaching the summit of Pintian Mountain and returning to the Xinda Mountain Hut, the woman showed signs of hypothermia and confusion, requiring urgent rescue.
The Taichung City Fire Department deployed eight firefighters from the Lishan Branch, one ranger from the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters, two staff members from the Lishan Work Station of the Forestry Bureau, and four members of the Bunun Kalibuan Team — a total of 15 rescuers led by Lishan Branch Chief Tseng Chien-chih.
Firefighters arrived at the scene today and found the woman exhibiting symptoms suspected to be altitude sickness, including incoherent speech and confusion. With the help of a female teammate, she was given dry clothes, and a portable hyperbaric bag was used to alleviate her symptoms.
However, due to persistent rain and poor weather conditions in the mountains, a helicopter rescue could not be carried out. Rescuers will instead carry the patient down the mountain manually.