TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Thirty-six participants in a sea canoeing event from Dapeng Bay to Xiao Liuqiu in Pingtung County required assistance from the Coast Guard on Sunday (July 7) due to rougher than expected conditions.  

The event was organized by the Pingtung County Government. The 20-kilometer trip normally takes four hours to complete. 

However, Coast Guard boats began rescuing sea canoers in distress almost as soon as the activity got underway at 6 a.m. on Sunday as many paddlers found themselves adrift amongst strong waves, per PTS.

"Participants in sea canoeing activities were experiencing physical exhaustion and were unable to reach the end safely. Coast Guard boats made repeated trips to waters 2.2 kilometers southwest of Dapeng Bay’s Qingzhou Coastal Recreation Area for rescue operations, said Chan Sheng-shun (詹勝舜), director of the Coast Guard Administration Southern Branch.

A sea canoe coach involved with the event, Tsai Ren-hsien (蔡任賢), said an open sea crossing to Xiao Liuqiu is a difficult test of physical fitness and skills. He added it is not suitable for people who have not canoed at sea before. 

“The challenge encountered was not just the wind but also sea currents. When conditions are bad, it is difficult to make progress. An assessment of physical strength and ability, especially paddling skill, is very important,” said Tsai.

Open-water sea canoeing has many variables, such as currents and wind direction, which can be difficult for inexperienced paddlers.