TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A traditional Chinese medicine doctor from Hualien was reported missing this week after disappearing on a trip to Yilan.
The man, surnamed Ku (古), worked at Tzu Chi Hospital in Hualien and was in Yilan to attend a seminar at Foguang University on Sunday (April 21). After the morning seminar, Ku boarded a boat to join a whale-watching tour, but he never returned to shore, reported UDN.
Ku reportedly told a family member that he was going to hike around Foguang University in Jiaoxi. He was spotted near the Linmei Trail not far from the university, which led police to initially focus their search for him in the mountains.
However, it was later discovered that security cameras recorded Ku in neighboring Toucheng, where he boarded the “Kuishan Sunrise No. 2” at 1 p.m. in Wushi Harbor for a whale-watching tour.
When the boat returned to port at 3:10 p.m., staff did not notice anyone missing among the disembarking passengers. Reports indicate that an observer at the dock may have been accidentally counted as a passenger, reported CTI News.
After Ku failed to return home Sunday night, his family reported him missing on Monday (April 22). Ku’s family and colleagues in Hualien said that Ku had shown no signs of distress or instability in recent weeks, so his disappearance came as a shock.
Staff from the whale-watching tour found Ku’s backpack onboard the ship, which included a packet of tissues and Ku’s name card. During the boat ride on Sunday, none of the passengers or crew noticed anyone fall overboard, which makes Ku’s disappearance all the more puzzling.
Authorities believe that Ku most likely fell into the sea accidentally, but an investigation into his disappearance is still ongoing. The Coast Guard has increased patrols around northern Yilan in the hope of finding him.
