A father and son surnamed Lee from Taipei were hiking along the Zhuilu Old Trail on the 16th. The 66-year-old father, trying to make way for an oncoming hiker, accidentally lost his footing and fell 300 meters down the cliff. His son, who witnessed the tragic fall, was devastated and told police that there was no time to save him — he could only hear his father’s screams echoing through the valley. Rescue workers found the father’s body the afternoon before yesterday, and on the morning of the 17th, an air force helicopter was deployed to recover the remains.
The son told police that the day before yesterday morning, he and his father had planned to hike the Zhuilu Old Trail. They entered the trail via Swallow Grotto at around 7 a.m., and at a little past 11 a.m., while they were about 500 meters west of the 2.6-km mark along the Zhuilu Cliff and Zhuilu Old Trail, he was following about 10 meters behind his father. He saw his father turn sideways to avoid an oncoming hiker, but just two steps after passing the person, his father lost his balance and fell into the valley. He tried to rush to help but was too late — all he heard were his father’s screams echoing down the gorge, and when he looked over, he couldn’t see him.
The Hualien County Fire Bureau received the report at 11:39 a.m. that day and immediately coordinated with the Taroko National Park Headquarters and the 9th Battalion of the 7th Brigade of the Protection Corps to begin search and rescue efforts. An air force helicopter was also called in to assist with the search. It wasn’t until a little after 4 p.m. that they finally located the father’s body in a mountain hollow 300 meters below the cliff. The helicopter first lowered three rescuers to move the body to a point about 2 meters below a suitable recovery location, and the recovery operation was carried out yesterday. Police stated that the victim’s son said he saw his father and the other hiker pass each other and had thought they were both safe — which is why they agreed it was an accident.
Authorities said that just on April 16, an engineer surnamed Huang had fallen to his death in the Zhuilu Cliff area, and now, just two months later, another accident has occurred. Zhang Dengwen, deputy director of the Taroko National Park Administration, pointed out that the Zhuilu Old Trail boasts magnificent scenery and has always been one of the most popular trails in Taroko. Daily visitor numbers are subject to a quota system — 96 people on weekdays and 156 on holidays. Currently, only the eastern entrance up to the 3.1 km point is open, with hikers required to return the same way. Due to the trail’s steep, rugged terrain and narrow paths — with some cliff sections being less than 1 meter wide — visitors are reminded to wear shoes with good grip, stay close to the inner side of the path, hold onto safety ropes along the cliffs, and be especially vigilant during encounters with other hikers to ensure their own safety.