Two hikers died on Kelekeleanshan (可樂可樂安山) in Nantou County’s Sinyi Township (信義), while an eight-year-old boy who showed signs of hypothermia was rescued, local authorities said on Saturday.
Nantou County Fire Bureau officials said they received a report at about midday on Saturday that the boy, his 70-year-old grandfather and the grandfather’s 63-year-old female friend were trapped on the mountain in central Taiwan.
The group had set out from Hualien County on Aug. 8 to climb the South Third Section (南三段) trail, with plans to descend via Dongpu (東埔) in Sinyi yesterday.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public
However, on Tuesday last week, the trio were caught in heavy wind and rain due to Typhoon Podul and were forced to set up camp, but their tent was damaged and leaked under the downpour and strong gusts, the officials said.
Prolonged exposure to cold left the hikers exhausted and likely experiencing hypothermia, they said.
Given their critical condition and the remote location, the fire bureau immediately requested helicopter assistance.
The National Airborne Service Corps dispatched a helicopter that conducted a ground landing rescue to bring the grandpa, the woman and the boy down the mountain, the fire bureau said.
They were rushed to a hospital, but the man and the woman had no vital signs upon arrival and could not be revived.
The boy, diagnosed with hypothermia, remained in stable condition, the bureau said.
Details of the incident are still being investigated.
Local media reported that the boy realized his grandfather and the grandfather’s friend were in severe distress, and they were nearly unconscious when he used his grandfather’s cellphone to dial 112 and call for help.
The National Fire Agency said in a statement that mountain weather can change rapidly, and urged hikers to thoroughly prepare and assess their physical health before attempting a climb.
It also advised hikers to avoid routes beyond their capabilities and to carry satellite communication equipment to provide quick location information in emergencies and increase the chances of a timely rescue.
The 3,505m Kelekeleanshan is along the South Third Section trail.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS