The body of Tsai Yao-hsing (蔡耀星), famed for learning to swim despite missing both arms, was found at the base of the Chinwen Bridge (錦文橋) in Taroko Gorge yesterday.
A preliminary investigation by Hualien police into his death suggested Tsai fell off the bridge into the river and was washed up against the base of the bridge, where he got stuck. However, police said the incident was still under investigation.
Police said they received a report yesterday that the naked body of an armless man had been found at the base of the Chinwen Bridge on the north edge of Taroko Gorge. The police later identified the body as Tsai.
Tsai, who was an Atayal Aborigine, lost his arms in a work accident when he was 16. He made a name for himself by learning to use his legs in place of his arms to not only learn to swim, but become adept at the sport. He earned the nickname the “Frog King” because of his unique swimming style.
Tsai had said that he trained by swimming in rivers, adding that he often surprised people with his agility in the water.
Tsia’s stepmother, Pan Hui-mei (潘惠妹), said yesterday that representing Taiwan in the Paralympics had been Tsai’s greatest life goal.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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