In the wake of a recent series of drownings, the public is advised to be very careful when going to the beach for a swim, Central Weather Bureau officials said.
“It may look like nice sunny weather and the sea looks quite safe, but large and high waves — known to the locals as the ‘southwest sea swells’ (西南湧) — may strike unexpectedly,” the officials said.
“These are dangerous ‘silent killers’ because when they arrive, it is too late for people to react,” they added.
On Saturday last week, tragedy struck Kenting’s South Bay (南灣) when high sea waves swept scores of swimmers out to sea. After frantic rescue efforts, the majority were saved, but three people lost their lives.
According to witnesses’ accounts, an unexpected sea surge of 4m-high waves hit the bay twice. At about 3:40pm, a large wave struck and carried off about a dozen swimmers; another wave struck at about at 5pm and took more than 100 swimmers, they said.
“It was very scary. The big wave carried people off like a giant vacuum cleaner. Even though I can swim, I couldn’t fight the force and was swept out to sea. Luckily, rescuers came and tossed me a lifejacket, so I was able to stay afloat and was rescued later,” a swimmer recalled.
Quick action by lifeguards, along with crews and operators of the area’s leisure activities, helped save most of the more than 100 swimmers carried off by the massive wave.
The bodies of the three who drowned were later recovered.
Kenting National Park officials said that after weather forecasts warning of gale-force winds and high waves, they had erected red flags on South Beach as a warning to people not to go into the water because of the dangerous sea conditions.
Most people ignored the warning, they said.
A series of discussions on the legacy of martial law and authoritarianism are to be held at the Taipei International Book Exhibition this month, featuring findings and analysis by the Transitional Justice Commission. The commission and publisher Book Republic organized the series, entitled “Escaping the Nation’s Labyrinth of Memory: What Authoritarian Symbols and Records Can Tell Us,” to help people navigate narratives through textual analysis and comparisons with other nations. The four-day series is to begin on Thursday next week with a discussion between commission Chairwoman Yang Tsui (楊翠), Polish-language translator Lin Wei-yun (林蔚昀), and Polish author and artist Pawel Gorecki comparing
‘EFFECTIVE DETERRENCE’: If the Biden administration suspends arms sales to Taiwan, the military could still ready a nimble fighting force for defense, an analyst said The “US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific” last week sparked debate among analysts after US President Donald Trump declassified the document 20 years ahead of schedule. Trump on Tuesday last week released the document that had governed US strategic action in the region since the US leader approved its use in 2018. The document, which outlines US priorities in the region, emphasizes the importance of defending Taiwan against military aggression and facilitating the country’s development of asymmetric strategies and capabilities. The overall directive of the document is for the US to prevent China from establishing sustained air and sea dominance inside the first
MOVING OUT: A former professor said that rent and early education costs in Taipei are the nation’s highest, which makes it difficult for young people to start families The population of Taipei last year fell to the lowest in 23 years due to high rent, more transportation options and the expansion of northern cities into a single metropolis, academics and city officials said on Monday. Data released this month by the Ministry of the Interior showed that the capital was home to 2,602,418 people last year, down 42,623 from 2019. The decline is second only to 1993, when the population fell by 42,828 people, while Taipei’s population was the lowest it has been since 1997. Taipei saw the biggest drop among the six special municipalities, while Taoyuan led the group in
A legislator yesterday called for authorities to investigate the sale of Chinese-made, Internet-connected karaoke machines containing “propaganda songs.” Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said she was approached by a person who had discovered Chinese patriotic songs such as My Motherland (我的祖國) — which is commonly referred to as China’s “second national anthem” — in Chinese-made karaoke devices sold in Taiwan. The machines are popular, as they can connect to the Internet, providing access to thousands of songs, she said. One retailer, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the machines first entered the local market about three years ago, starting with
RSS