Six students from the National Taiwan University Mountaineering Club began their trek on February 7 via the Luyeh Yanping Forest Trail in Taitung County. By the morning of the 18th, they had reached the Shishan Forest Trail in Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, and were expected to complete their hiking trip that day. However, female student Huang Qinwen accidentally fell 500 meters down a valley. The National Airborne Service Corps was dispatched via helicopter for the rescue, but unfortunately, Huang sustained severe injuries, including multiple fractures, and passed away before reaching the hospital.
Lt. Col. Dong Jiancheng, head of the Airborne Service Corps, explained that at around noon on the 18th, the six NTU mountaineering club members were hiking near the Shishan Forest Trail in Taoyuan District when 24-year-old Huang Qinwen fell into the valley by accident. Upon receiving a report from Wang, an instructor at the university, the Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau immediately requested an airborne rescue from the Airborne Service Corps.
At 12:45 p.m., the Airborne Corps helicopter, carrying members of the Special Search Team Southern Branch including squad leader Su Shuncong and team member Zhang Wenzong, took off from Tainan Airport. Forty minutes later, they arrived at the Shilin Trail in Taoyuan Mountain and began searching for the missing person. Five minutes later, they spotted Huang Qinwen who had fallen against a steep cliff wall. Due to the dangerous terrain, the helicopter was unable to land. The rescuers first lowered Zhang Wenzong down to Huang’s location and found that she had suffered multiple fractures and a broken spine, had no heartbeat or breathing, but still had body warmth. They lifted her onto a stretcher using the helicopter’s hoist and flew her to Tainan Airport around 2:36 p.m. She was then rushed by ambulance to Tainan Municipal Hospital for emergency treatment, but she ultimately died due to the severity of her injuries.
Police, volunteer firefighters, and the Air Eagle Squadron deployed twelve personnel to walk to the scene. They arrived at the Taoyuan Nursery last night and will continue their mission at first light today to escort the other five students to safety. Authorities reported that the remaining five students were in good condition, with adequate food supplies and no signs of hypothermia.
NTU Secretary-General Chang Peiren stated that the deceased student, Huang, was a junior majoring in Foreign Languages and was from Taipei. Upon hearing the news, her family was devastated and immediately traveled to Tainan. The university promptly asked instructors from National Cheng Kung University nearby to assist and also sent school staff to Tainan to support and accompany the family in handling related matters. The mountaineering club had followed regulations by applying to the university for the activity. Moving forward, the university will strengthen safety training and knowledge for outdoor activity clubs to prevent such tragedies from happening again.