TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A German man twisted his leg during a mountain climbing trip in New Taipei on Saturday (July 17), and he had to be airlifted to seek medical attention, CNA reported.
The German, 26, went to climb the notoriously perilous Stegosaurus Ridge in New Taipei’s Ruifang District with two of his friends — a woman surnamed Yang (楊) and a man surnamed Chen (陳).
Around 2 p.m., he twisted his left leg near a waterfall and could not continue hiking. After receiving reports of the accident, local police and fire stations dispatched 25 rescuers to search for the hikers, per CNA.
The rescuers assembled at the defunct Li-yue Copper Refinery. From there, they went into the mountains, reaching the three hikers at around 5:30 p.m.
Rescuers determined that the swelling in the injured man's left leg had rendered him unable to walk. Considering the darkening sky, the unavoidable waterfall on the route down, and the five hours required to descend, rescuers decided to accompany the man at the scene overnight.
Chen and Yang, who were uninjured, were guided down the mountain by members of the search party. The pair arrived at the copper refinery around 9 p.m., where they took a break before departing.
The New Taipei Fire Department filed a request to the National Airborne Service Corps to dispatch a rescue helicopter, which arrived at the scene at 8:37 a.m. on Sunday. The helicopter airlifted the injured man to Songshan Airport at 9:05 a.m., and he was then taken to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Stegosaurus Ridge (黃文星〔螃蟹家族〕)
