TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The body of the fifth and final missing river tracer was flown out by helicopter Saturday (May 27), a week after they were swept away by rising water levels near the Feilong Waterfall in Pingtung County.
Ten experienced climbers had gone river tracing in the township of Wutai on May 20. Sudden heavy rainfall in the afternoon caused the current to swell and sweep five of them away, with two confirmed as having died.
The search for the three others was repeatedly interrupted by rainfall. Rescue teams used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and spun a net across a river to try and find the missing hikers.
Two were found Thursday (May 25), while the last missing victim turned up Friday (May 26). A rescue team took the final body down to where a helicopter could pick it up for transfer outside the mountainous area on Saturday noon, per the Liberty Times.
A total of 238 people were involved in the weeklong rescue mission. Five hikers were saved, and five dead.
