Nantou: A rescue crew has discovered two hikers without vital signs after they fell 380 meters down a steep, icy slope on Yushan, authorities reported Saturday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Nantou County Fire Department received a distress call at 10 a.m. Saturday, reporting a male and female hiker had fallen while climbing the main and north peaks of Yushan. An aerial search conducted by the National Airborne Service Corps (NASC) later located two bodies partially covered in snow at the base of a steep slope, 380 meters from the hiking trail. However, adverse conditions, including uneven terrain and high winds, prevented an immediate helicopter rescue.
By early Sunday, a rescue team composed of Nantou fire department and Yushan National Park officials departed from Paiyun Lodge. They located the hikers, both without vital signs, at approximately 11 a.m. The rescue team is currently working to move the bodies to more accessible terrain for an NASC helicopter to transport them down the mountain, an official involved in the rescue efforts relayed to CNA.
In a statement issued late Saturday, Yushan National Park Headquarters cautioned hikers regarding the "extremely dangerous" conditions on high elevation trails. The warning was due to the snow accumulated during winter beginning to melt and frequently refreezing as nighttime temperatures drop below zero. Yushan's main peak stands as Taiwan's highest mountain, with an elevation of 3,952 meters.