TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A day trip to the Pingtung mountain of Beidawushan became one couple's last together when the husband fell to his death Sunday afternoon (April 24).

At 2:43 p.m. on Sunday, Pingtung County’s Bureau of Fire and Emergency Services received a call about a hiker who had fallen down a hillside 1.7 kilometers from the trailhead of the Beidawushan trail, CNA reported, citing a bureau press release issued Monday (April 25). The bureau dispatched 12 vehicles and 24 personnel from neighboring stations for the rescue operation.

At 5:36 p.m., rescuers arrived at the point where the 64-year-old man, surnamed Lin (林), had fallen, CNA quoted the bureau as saying. They immediately rappelled down the hill to reach him but found him lifeless.

The team carried Lin’s body back to the trailhead sometime after 11 p.m.

The Pingtung Forest District Office's Beidawu Information Station posted about the accident on its Facebook page and reminded hikers of dangerous conditions on the trail.

According to the post, the couple was on a day trip to the Juniper Valley Villa, a mountain hut on the trail.

After having lunch, they began hiking back to the trailhead. When they reached the 1.7-km mark, the husband, who was walking ahead of his wife, stepped on a slippery rock and slid down the 30-meter slope to a lower part of the zigzagging trail.

However, the trail did not stop Lin's tumble, which continued another 60 meters down the hill. He suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as a result of the accident.

The post emphasizes that the Beidawushan trail is "slippery more than half the year" and that falls there often have serious consequences. “There are many dangerous cliffs from the 0.2-km spot to the summit,” the post continues, pointing out that this is especially challenging for hikers on their descent.