TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A teenage motorcyclist survived a 70-meter fall down a mountain slope in southern Taiwan's Pingtung County on Wednesday (April 27).
At 12:18 p.m. that day, Pingtung County police received a report of a traffic accident at the 29.7-kilometer mark on Provincial Highway 24 in Sandimen Township and immediately dispatched officers to investigate, reported Liberty Times. When police arrived at the scene, they found that a 19-year-old woman surnamed Tseng (曾) had fallen 70 meters down a rocky slope and alerted firefighters.
When firefighters arrived, they quickly used ropes to rappel down to Tseng's position, place her on a litter, and carefully lifted her to safety. It took firefighters about half an hour to rescue Tseng and place her in an ambulance to transport her to a nearby hospital.
According to a police investigation, Tseng was riding a large engine motorcycle from Wutai Township to Sandimen Township when she lost control of the bike when entering a corner. Her motorcycle then careened into a guardrail, sending her hurtling down the steep ravine below.
A friend who was riding another motorcycle ahead of Tseng soon realized she was in danger and reported the accident to police. Officers stated that Tseng had suffered multiple abrasions and an injury to her pelvis, but she was conscious when rescuers arrived.
After administering a breathalyzer test on Tseng, she was not found to have alcohol in her bloodstream. Police urged the public to slow down when driving in mountainous areas with sharp turns and abide by traffic safety rules to not only ensure their own safety but the safety of others.
Firefighters rappel down slope. (Pingtung County Police Bureau photo)
Firefighter rappels down with litter. (Pingtung County Police Bureau photo)
Firefighters place Tseng on litter. (Pingtung County Police Bureau photo)
Firefighters raise Tseng up on litter. (Pingtung County Police Bureau photo)
Tseng's motorcycle still situated on road. (Pingtung County Police Bureau photo)
