Model Olivia Ku (顧思妤) reportedly drowned yesterday during an underwater photo shoot in the sea near Houpihu (後壁湖) off Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春).
Firefighters and members of Coast Patrol Corp 6-3 said Ku was pulled out of the water unconscious at 3:26pm yesterday, adding that she died at a local hospital after attempts at resuscitation failed.
The coast guard refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the incident, or a rumor that Ku had removed her breathing apparatus for aesthetic effect prior to the incident, saying that the investigation is ongoing and a prosecutor assigned to the case was due to survey the scene later yesterday afternoon.
Photo courtesy of Eelin Modeling Agency
Ku, 25, had been an avid amateur diver for the past three years and frequently volunteered to clean refuse from the seabeds near Pingtung, said a commercial diver who was with her during the session, adding that she was “a cheerful and outgoing fellow diver.”
Another seasoned unnamed diver said he was confounded by the mishap, because a diver should have been on watch for accidents during underwater photography sessions, in which breathing apparatus is often removed, and that shoots are usually conducted in shallow waters to take advantage of natural light.
Ku was married to a cousin of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩). She is survived by her husband and a four-year-old daughter
Chiu yesterday expressed grief at Ku’s passing on Facebook, saying: “Your life was cut too short at the age of 25, but you will always be in the hearts of our big family.”
Publicists of Eelin Entertainment, Ku’s modeling agency, said the agency’s management and employees mourn Ku’s death and are helping the family in her funeral arrangements, and that the group will not make further comments out of respect for her family’s wishes for privacy.
The agency added that the photo shoot was not work-related.
Additional reporting by Su Fu-nan
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese