TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A helicopter picked up three hikers in distress from three separate locations in high mountain areas Friday (Feb. 16) morning.

The National Airborne Service Corps (NASC) was notified early Friday that three women hiking in Kaohsiung City and Nantou County needed emergency assistance. After discussions with local fire departments, the service decided to send a Black Hawk helicopter based in Hualien County to help all three hikers, the Liberty Times reported.

While weather conditions on the east coast were not ideal, at altitudes above 3,000 meters visibility was good, allowing the rescue mission to go ahead. At 9:14 a.m., the team airlifted a woman surnamed Yang (楊), aged 28, from the Lulugu Cabin in Kaohsiung City’s Taoyuan District.

A second woman, named Wen (溫), aged 26, joined her at the Tafengu Cabin in the same district at 9:21 a.m. Both had been suffering from altitude sickness, the report said.

The third hiker, Wang (王), 26, waited for the helicopter at a camp near Mount Dongjun in Nantou County until 9:46 a.m. She was diagnosed with uremia, a buildup of toxins in the blood.

The helicopter landed at a baseball stadium in Hualien County, where an ambulance took the three hikers to a hospital for treatment. They received oxygen during the flight, and their condition was reported as stable.