The search and rescue team of Taipei City Fire Department’s firefighter Li Ying-hsun went missing during a mountain climb. After more than half a month of searching — which resulted in one rescuer killed and several injured — the missing hiker was still not found. The Hualien County Fire Bureau stated that the search mission was painfully called off on the 21st. Currently, six rescuers remain in the mountains to handle aftermath tasks and will be evacuated by air force helicopter depending on weather conditions.
Li Ying-hsun and two teammates went to climb Nanshan Erzi Mountain in Hualien during the 228 holiday. On the second day, he went off alone to look for water and went missing. The other two companions searched for a day without success and reported the case to a local police station on the evening of the 3rd of this month.
The search and rescue brigade received the report and launched a mission involving Hualien County Fire Bureau, along with search and rescue teams from Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Hsinchu County fire departments, as well as air force helicopters, Taiwan’s Panshi Rescue Team, forestry patrol officers, and military special operations personnel. During the search period, Taiwan’s Panshi Rescue Team member Sun Hong-xin accidentally fell into a stream and drowned, and there were other injuries.
Huang Rui-ming, head of the disaster relief and rescue command division at Hualien County Fire Bureau, said the mountain search was originally scheduled for one week but was extended for another week at the family’s request. During this time, a large number of personnel were mobilized, and almost every corner of Nanshan Erzi Mountain was combed through, including cliffs and valleys, yet the missing hiker was still not found. With the family’s consent, the search mission was officially called off.
Huang Rui-ming said that the funeral for rescuer Sun Hong-xin had already been held, and the search personnel in the mountains were physically and mentally exhausted, leading to the painful decision to stop the search.
Wang Ming-zhong, head of the Second Division of Hualien County Fire Bureau, said that although human footprints were discovered on the second day of the search, no further clues have been found since then. Moreover, all searchable areas have been thoroughly checked without any discoveries. After evaluation, the search operation can only be temporarily suspended for now.