A shocking mountain-climbing accident occurred yesterday on the Yushan Main Peak trail. A group of 26 hikers from Taipei was descending after reaching the summit in the early morning when 61-year-old Lee Chu reportedly slipped and fell into a valley near the windy section. Her niece-in-law, Chen Biyun, who was following behind, attempted to grab her but lost her balance and tumbled down a slope several feet away, resulting in one fatality and one injury.
The 26 members of the Taipei-based Wild News Mountaineering Club were divided into two groups led by team leaders surnamed Chen and Tsai. They arrived at Yuanyue Mountain Hut—about two kilometers from Yushan Main Peak and located above Pyasan Lodge—on the afternoon of the 18th. Yesterday, they split into two teams to ascend the peak in the dark and began their descent around 6:30 a.m.
A group of 12, including the team leader surnamed Chen, had reached a point about 120 meters below the main peak—just above the windy section and the cage-like guardrail—around 6:40 a.m. when 61-year-old Lee Chu, suspected to have stepped on loose rocks, suddenly fell over the top of the cage-like guardrail and then bounced down into a cliff valley about 100 meters deep. Her niece-in-law, Chen Biyun, instinctively tried to grab her but also slipped and fell about three meters down the slope, hitting her forehead and injuring her cervical spine. Teammates reported the incident to the Yushan National Park Headquarters as well as police and firefighters for rescue.
The Chiayi Air Force Base received a transfer report from the National Search and Rescue Center at 7:22 a.m. and dispatched a helicopter for the rescue mission. The pilot revealed that the site, at an altitude of about 3,200 meters, featured a steep slope of around 50 to 60 degrees, making the terrain extremely dangerous. The helicopter could only conduct a hoist rescue.
While circling overhead, the helicopter first spotted three or four hikers gathered around an injured person, with a female fatality lying on a pile of rocks on a cliff just a few meters away—her skull visibly fractured, indicating death. The helicopter immediately lowered a basket to evacuate Chen Biyun, who had head injuries, first. The deceased was transported back to Chiayi Base by an Air Rescue Squadron helicopter.
When Chen Biyun (50 years old) was being lifted into the helicopter, she kept her hands tightly clasped and prayed incessantly. Upon arrival at the hospital, she was emotionally distraught, crying uncontrollably and repeatedly asking medical staff about her sister-in-law’s condition. Chen Biyun said she and her sister-in-law both loved hiking and shared a very close bond, often climbing together on weekends. On the 17th, they joined a group of three or four relatives and friends and merged with the Taipei mountaineering team for a two-day, two-night Yushan summit trip.
Chen Biyun said their group stayed overnight at Yuanyue Mountain Hut, summited at dawn, and were returning after watching the sunrise when they reached the so-called “big iron chain” section of the windy area. Initially, team members were taking turns holding onto the chains to descend. Halfway down, she suddenly saw her sister-in-law roll down the valley. Acting on instinct, she tried to grab her, but in her panic, she also lost her grip and slipped down the slope, tumbling several times before coming to a stop.