TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 42-year-old woman surnamed Hu (胡) is presumed to have fallen to her death while climbing central Taiwan's Yushan by herself on Tuesday (Dec. 14).
On Monday (Dec. 13), Hu embarked on a five-day trip with another woman, surnamed Yang (楊), to climb six Yushan peaks, the Liberty Times reported. They first scaled the summit of Yushan Front Peak before staying at Yuanfong Cabin.
The duo finished climbing Nanyu Mountain on Tuesday, and as Yang was a faster hiker, she returned to the cabin without waiting for Hu. At 4 p.m., Yang received a text message from Hu saying she was heading to Yushan South Peak.
However, as Hu had not returned by 7 p.m., Yang called for help. In response, the nearby Paiyun Lodge dispatched a search and rescue team of three people.
They arrived at Yuanfong Cabin and asked Yang for more information about the incident before searching for the missing hiker, the report said. Due to low temperatures and poor visibility at night, they stopped searching and returned to Yuanfong Cabin sometime after 11 p.m.
The team resumed their search on Wednesday morning, and soon after 7 a.m. they found an unresponsive Hu. The team carried the body to an open area, where it was airlifted by a National Airborne Service Corps helicopter around noon, per the Liberty Times.