Taipei City Fire Department officer Li Yingxun went missing while hiking Mount Nan’erzi in Hualien during the 228 holiday weekend this year, along with two other officers. Despite a large-scale search effort by emergency personnel that lasted 20 days, he was not found, and the official search was called off on March 21. While the official search ended, civilian efforts continued, and on the 20th, his remains were discovered in the mountains. An air force helicopter airlifted the remains at 9 a.m. today and transported them to a funeral home for examination by police and prosecutors. Rescue personnel determined from the scene that he likely died after taking a wrong turn while fetching water in the dark and fell into a valley.
On the 20th, a civilian search team contacted the Hualien County Fire Department via satellite phone. According to a hiker, around 3 p.m. yesterday, Li Yingxun’s remains were found about 100 meters below the rescue campsite near the helicopter airlift location from March of this year (at an altitude of approximately 1,030 meters) on a steep cliff.
It is understood that when Li Yingxun was found, his head was facing downward and his feet upward. He was wearing black socks, black long pants, and a red top, with his black helmet hanging from a tree. His body was located about 10 meters below the helmet. The discovery site had also been passed by rescuers during the fire department’s search in March, but due to a possible line-of-sight issue, his remains were not spotted at that time.
Wang Mingzhong, head of the Hualien County Fire Department’s Second Battalion, said they received a report from a hiker around 4 p.m. on the 20th, informing them of the discovery of Li Yingxun’s remains. On the morning of the 21st, they immediately requested a helicopter to airlift the remains, which were then transported to a funeral home for examination by authorities. Li’s wife appeared grief-stricken and did not speak throughout the process.
Ye Guozheng, who was in charge of ground support for the search and rescue team, said the remains were found face down on a cliff about 100 meters north of the original campsite used during the search. Although the vertical drop from the campsite was only about 20 meters, the rugged terrain required descending a 100-meter ravine and then climbing up to reach the remains. He speculated that Li may have been descending along a ridge line in the dark to fetch water and accidentally took a wrong turn on the way back, falling into the valley. However, the exact cause of death still requires further investigation by the police.
The Hualien County Fire Department carried out a search mission on Mount Nan’erzi from March 4 to March 21, spanning 18 days. A total of 14 supporting agencies and groups participated in the operation, mobilizing 953 personnel and 85 helicopter sorties. The overall effort, including manpower and supplies, cost NT$8.68 million. During the mission, Sun Hongxin from the Panshi Rescue Team tragically lost his life while attempting to cross a river and was swept away by strong currents.
(China Times)