Li Ying-hsun, the Taipei City firefighter who went missing on the mountain, is not only a member of the Taipei International Search and Rescue Team but also a former national sanda (full-contact martial arts) champion. He is physically fit and has extensive disaster rescue experience. Unexpectedly, he went missing in the mountains of Hualien and is still being searched for.
Three firefighters from the Taipei City Fire Department—Li Ying-hsun, Tsai Chih-cheng, and Lin Keng-wei—planned to climb Nanyierzi Mountain in Hualien during the 228 Holiday. On the morning of February 28, they started trekking up the Shoufeng River and set up camp at an altitude of 580 meters that evening. The next day, they camped at an altitude of 1,050 meters.
On the evening of March 1, Li went to look for a water source and went missing, with no contact afterward. The other two searched for him in the area for a day without success. Yesterday, they decided to descend the mountain and reported the case to the Xilin Police Station of Hualien’s Fenglin Precinct at 5 p.m., also notifying Li’s family.
Li Ying-hsun, 30 years old, is a graduate of the 24th class of the Police Academy and joined the force in 2007. He was transferred from the Jiancheng Branch to the Shuangxi Branch late last year. Due to his excellent performance and strong physical ability, he was assigned to the task-force Taipei International Search and Rescue Team, participating in various rescue missions.
The Taipei City Fire Department stated that Li Ying-hsun is from Kaohsiung. During his time at the Police Academy, he was a basketball team member. He is independent-minded and passionate about extreme sports such as sanda, mountain climbing, and diving. He is currently married but has no children and has performed outstandingly at work.
Many of his firefighting colleagues were deeply concerned upon hearing that Li had gone missing in the mountains. The Taipei City Fire Department noted that more than 10 officers, along with Tsai Chih-cheng who climbed the mountain with Li, have been dispatched to Hualien to assist in the rescue operation. They hope to locate and rescue him as soon as possible. 1060304
(Central News Agency)