TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Sixteen mountaineers were rescued on Thursday after one of their team members died and they became trapped for days by heavy snowfall on a mountain in Hualien County.
Taking advantage of a break in the clouds in the morning, Hualien County Fire Department requested air support, per Liberty Times. Around 10 a.m., the National Airborne Service Corps dispatched a Black Hawk helicopter to evacuate the 16 team members in two groups.
Due to worsening weather in the afternoon, three personnel involved in the body search were also evacuated by helicopter. Additional personnel will be sent up the mountain tomorrow to continue the search.
One team member, surnamed Pan (潘), told the newspaper the team arrived at Chenggong Cabin on Saturday. The next day, they set out at 6 a.m., summited Qilai North Peak, and then descended the Qilai East Ridge toward the Panshi Zhongfeng Cabin.
However, not long after setting out, the weather worsened, with rain, sleet, and snow. After descending the north peak, a 58-year-old climber surnamed Lee (李) began to fall behind the group.
Pan said the weather was harsh, and all team members were soaked and shivering. Prolonged stops led to a rapid loss of body temperature, and the team feared that if they did not reach the shelter soon, they would all be in danger.
When most of the team members arrived at Panshi Zhongfeng Cabin that evening, they were nearly hypothermic. Later, Weng sent a team member to search for Lee, but after walking about 2 km without finding him, the climber had to return to the shelter due to the severe weather.
According to Pan, Lee had experience with over 50 peaks and carried a heavy pack with a bivouac sack, food, and a sleeping bag. Considering that the group planned to stay in mountain cabins throughout the journey, Lee's preparation appeared to be quite thorough.
Another team member, who was walking behind, was also soaked and nearly unable to continue. He left food and a gas canister for Lee on the trail, before reaching the Panshi Zhongfeng Cabin at around 7 p.m.
On Monday, Weng (翁), reported to the Hualien County Fire Department Lee had gone missing and called for a rescue. The Hualien County Fire Department dispatched an eight-member ground search and rescue team
The mountaineers retraced their steps and spotted Lee lying near a pond on a mountain trail. When they reached Lee at 10:10 a.m., he had already passed away.
Weng requested an airlift on Wednesday after the group encountered heavy snowfall. As they were without snow gear, they sheltered in Panshi Zhongfeng Cabin.
The ground search and rescue team reached Chenggong Cabin, but due to heavy snow, withdrew about 1 kilometer back to Heishuitang Cabin to wait for better weather.
As thick clouds and fog prevented helicopters from taking off on Wednesday, the National Airborne Service Corps planned to carry out aerial reconnaissance on Thursday morning to finalize a rescue plan for the mountain climbers.
The team is from a mountaineering club based in Kaohsiung. Among the team members, some had sleeping bags provided by the group, while others were fully self-sufficient.
The snow accumulation in the mountainous area is 20 to 30 centimeters, making the terrain very slippery.
