The entire country is experiencing persistent high temperatures, and heat-related incidents continue to occur. Hu Laijun, a man from Taoyuan County, went hiking on Xizhou Mountain in Daxi early on the 11th and is suspected to have died from heat exhaustion on his way back. Zhuang, an elderly man from Changhua, was riding a scooter to Lukang when he reportedly became dizzy from the heat, crashed into a utility pole, and after getting up, fell into a large drainage ditch and drowned. In Sanxia District, New Taipei City, another man, He Jiahong, reportedly fell into a two-meter drop in Dapao Creek and drowned.
The Daxi branch of the Taoyuan County Fire Department stated that around 8 a.m. yesterday, the 119 emergency service reported a hiker who had collapsed and lost consciousness on the Xizhou Mountain trail. When paramedics arrived, 54-year-old Hu Laijun was already unconscious. As he still had a pulse and was breathing, they performed CPR. However, by the time he was being transported down the mountain, he had no vital signs. Despite being rushed to Longtan Tri-Service General Hospital for emergency treatment, he could not be saved. His wife, unable to hide her grief and anger, said that although other hikers had passed by, no one offered help. The companions who had set out with him also scattered without a second thought, which was disheartening.
Zhuang, the elderly man from Changhua, rode his scooter more than ten kilometers yesterday afternoon to reach Lukang. Near Gouli, he suddenly crashed into a roadside utility pole. After struggling to get up, he crouched on the roadside embankment to rest, not noticing that a large irrigation channel was nearby. As he stood up in a daze, he accidentally fell into the water.
At the time, two foreign workers witnessed this dramatic chain of events. Shocked, they ran to different street corners to flag down help. After some gestures and communication, passing drivers quickly called for help. The Lukang Fire Department deployed divers, but by the time they arrived, the man was nowhere to be seen. He was later retrieved from the bottom of the channel near a sluice gate. Despite emergency treatment, he was sent to Lukang General Hospital but did not survive.
In Sanxia District, New Taipei City’s Dapao Creek, 28-year-old He Jiahong, along with his girlfriend and family of six, went to Yuanyang Valley for a day of playing in the water and barbecuing yesterday morning. While attempting to cool off at the waterfall area, he is suspected to have accidentally fallen into a two-meter drop and died. This marks the third drowning incident in Dapao Creek in just under a week.
After He drowned, rescue volunteers urgently blew whistles to try to save him. However, large rocks obstructed their view, and the water at the waterfall area was turbulent. Eight lifeguards took turns going into the water, but were all pushed back by the strong current. Eventually, they managed to pull out He Jiahong, who was trapped between rocks, but he had no signs of life. He was sent to Enzhugong Hospital for emergency treatment but could not be saved.
Separately, Pu, an 88-year-old veteran, was recently found lying unconscious in the bushes of Xinyuan Township, Pingtung. Police who responded to the report found that the elderly man had fainted due to not eating for several meals and becoming physically exhausted from the intense heat. After being brought to the police station, he was given food and helped in contacting his family, allowing him to return home safely.