Amid a cold snap, the Taichung City Fire Department received an emergency call in the early hours of the 27th from the Shei-Pa National Park Administration reporting that a hiking group of six members had taken shelter at the Taoshan Mountain Hut in Heping District due to severe weather. Among them, two male hikers were suspected of suffering from altitude sickness and were unable to walk on their own, prompting a rescue request. Due to thick cloud cover preventing helicopter flights, the Taichung City Fire Department coordinated assistance from Yilan County and Hsinchu County to launch a mountain rescue operation. The hikers were successfully rescued in the afternoon, and all individuals are safe.
The Taichung City Fire Department stated that the first team of four rescuers was assembled and proceeded with a ground approach. However, as Provincial Highway 7A was blocked, the team rerouted via Yilan County to access the Snow Mountain Range. In addition to ground efforts, the fire department’s command center also applied to the National Fire Agency under the Ministry of the Interior for helicopter support. However, continuous rainy weather and poor conditions, along with the thick cloud cover, made helicopter operations impossible. Moreover, the Siyuan Pass section experienced falling rocks, resulting in road closures. To make the most of the critical golden rescue window, the fire department reported the situation to the Yilan County and Hsinchu County Fire Bureaus and requested additional rescue support. Each of the two counties dispatched four rescuers to assist in the mountain operation. At noon on the 27th, Yilan County rescuers reported that they had located the hikers, and around 2 p.m., the hikers were brought out of the Snow Mountain Range. All individuals were unharmed but opted not to seek medical treatment.
Additionally, the fire department continued to dispatch rescuers to search for missing hikers at Daba Jian Mountain and Dajian Mountain. Due to snow cover and biting cold winds, the harsh disaster environment has made the rescue mission even more challenging.
(China Broadcasting Corporation)