Two mute men from New Taipei City had planned to hike the scenic Xiaozhuiyu Ancient Trail in Ruifang on the morning of the 4th. Shen, a 39-year-old man, is suspected to have slipped and fallen into a stream. Rescue teams searched the mountains for two consecutive nights, and on the morning of the 6th, they finally discovered Shen’s body in a deep pool 100 meters below Da Gui Waterfall. The cause of death is still under investigation by police and prosecutors.
The friend surnamed Lin who reported the case told police that at around 8 a.m. on the 4th, the two entered the trail from the Xikou entrance and began climbing the Banpin Mountain cliffs. At around 11 a.m., he had to drop out due to exhaustion and lost contact with Shen, so he went down the mountain on his own and waited by his car for his friend to show up. Unexpectedly, Shen still hadn’t appeared by evening, and he didn’t answer phone calls. Lin quickly asked passersby to help report the incident.
After receiving the report, police and firefighters formed a rescue team and searched through the night. At around 2 a.m. on the 5th, they found Shen’s backpack, cellphone, slippers, hat, and dry food on the shore 100 meters below Da Gui Waterfall, about an hour’s walk from the trailhead.
On the morning of the 6th, 15 police officers, firefighters, and volunteers split into two groups and resumed the search along the mountain ridge and stream valley. At 10 a.m., they found Shen’s body at Da Gui Waterfall, and at 3:40 p.m., they managed to retrieve the remains.
“We searched this area yesterday!” rescue team members pointed out that Shen had minor but noticeable head injuries. However, the same area had already been searched the previous day, leading them to suspect that the man may have accidentally fallen into the waterfall and become trapped underwater until his body surfaced and was found on the 6th.
Police and firefighters urge hikers to be cautious as Xiaozhuiyu Ancient Trail in Ruifang features steep terrain and remains fairly challenging, advising outdoor enthusiasts to proceed slowly and with care.