Two cousins in the third and fourth grades of elementary school, surnamed He, who are physically fit, went missing while hiking with their family. Tamsui police were alerted to help locate them but ended up searching all the way to Beitou before finding them, leaving the officers nearly exhausted.
New Taipei City Police Department’s Tamsui Precinct explained today that the two cousins were out on a trip north from Chiayi with their family yesterday. Unexpectedly, they were extremely physically capable—within just 10 minutes of starting the hike from Erziping Mountain in Sanchih District, they had left their family far behind on the mountain trail.
When the children’s family couldn’t find them, they quickly called the police. Officers dispatched four police personnel to split into two teams and search through Yangmingshan Mountain. After more than three hours, they finally found the siblings at Qingtian Temple in Beitou, about 4 kilometers away. The officers were almost completely worn out, exclaiming that their legs felt like they were about to give out (Taiwanese: “tiě tuǐ”), and praising the children’s impressive stamina.
Police said that the officers endured the scorching sun, climbing the mountain with the family to search for the children. Though drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted, they showed empathy and comforted the family along the way, which greatly moved the family and made them grateful for the officers’ help. Eventually, the group brought the children back to the police station for a quick wash and rest before driving back to Chiayi.
Tamsui Police Bureau reminded the public that mountain paths are narrow and crisscrossed in many directions. When bringing children up the mountain, extra care should be taken to monitor their movements and ensure they are never out of sight to avoid any danger. 1030901
(Central News Agency)