An Australian man who went missing following a suspected domestic dispute a week ago was rescued from a remote cave in Taitung County’s Donghe Township (東河) today.
The 50-year-old man identified as "Matthew," who disappeared on Friday last week after getting into an argument with his wife, descended the trail while singing and shouting: “I’m going home,” rescuers said.
On Tuesday, rescuers found him playing his saxophone at the mouth of a cave in the Coastal Mountain Range while waiting for assistance.
Photo: Liu Jen-wei, Taipei Times
Rescuers spent 27 hours trekking 17.31km through slippery mountain paths to bring him down from the V-shaped cliffside that they said is easy to descend into, but extremely difficult to climb out of.
The route down was treacherous, with falling rocks, thorny brush and slippery slopes where a single misstep could have proven disastrous, said Sung Li-ting (宋麗婷), a volunteer firefighter in Changbin Township (長濱).
Matthew remained in high spirits throughout the rescue, despite having to rappel with ropes by himself at several points, she said.
His wife said that she loved him very much and had been unable to sleep these past few days.
Rescuers said that Matthew brought little food with him as well as his saxophone, and entered the mountains wearing only sandals.
Unable to clearly explain how he ended up trapped in the narrow cliffside crevice, he recalled trying to find water and a way out by following a mountain stream downhill before eventually becoming trapped in the cave.
He said he passed the time by playing his saxophone, while being fearful and uncertain whether he would be rescued.
He said he survived by drinking untreated water and relied on prayer to endure the isolation.
His first question upon seeing rescuers was: “What day is it?”
Rescuers said he was moved to tears when eating a bowl of instant noodles, realizing he had survived the ordeal.
They also said that Matthew showed a natural talent for rope descents during the evacuation.
“He is really gifted. He learned immediately after being taught,” one rescuer said, adding that his physical fitness was impressive and that “volunteer firefighters need people like him.”
While Matthew did not respond to the suggestion, his wife said he was welcome to join them.
Additional reporting by CNA
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