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Stranded mountain climbers' ordeal comes to a close

The three surviving members of four-member group that had been stranded by bad weather on Nanhushan (南湖大山) since last week were transported by helicopter to Fengyuan (豐原),Taichung County, yesterday for medical treatment.

The body of the 48-year-old Lai Shan-chieh (賴杉杰), who died when temperatures in the area suddenly dropped during the group's attempt to scale Nanhushan and the Central Range Point, was also taken to Fengyuan Hospital.

Ting Ching-chun (丁清俊), 47, and Chou Mei-chu (周美珠), 37, were suffering from hypothermia and altitude sickness.

Ting was also reportedly suffering from snow blindness, or temporary loss of vision resulting from long exposure to bright sunlight.

Ho Hsin-yen (何信炎), 38, was only suffering from fatigue.

Rescue team

A seven-member rescue team from the Taichung County Fire Department set off from Lishan (梨山) on Tuesday after receiving an emergency call from a climber who passed a mountain lodge early on Tuesday morning where Ting, Chou and Ho were awaiting assistance.

The fire department requested a helicopter for the rescue mission on Tuesday after the rescue team set off.

The helicopter made three attempts to reach the lodge on Tuesday but was forced to return because of the weather.

The ordeal

The four mountaineers embarked on their trip March 17 from the Siyuan entrance on the border of Ilan and Taichung counties.

The group had planned to spend seven days scaling the 3,740m Nanhushan, which is the fourth-highest mountain in the country.

The team encountered heavy snowfall on the second day of their climb.

Lai was found unconscious in the morning of the third day and later died of hypothermia.
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