UPDATE 04:30 p.m. with hikers located.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Two hikers from the Czech Republic who went missing in the mountains of Hualien’s Taroko National Park as Typhoon Kong-rey lashed the country were located Thursday (Oct. 31) afternoon.
The park authority started contacting hikers Wednesday (Oct. 30) to tell them to leave the area ahead of the typhoon. However, the two Czechs had turned off their phones, making it impossible for the authorities to contact and locate them, per CNA.
The duo, a man and a woman, entered the park on October 27, and had planned to climb at least four mountains before leaving on November 7. The latest attempt to call them Thursday morning also failed, while nobody picked up the phone at an overseas number they had given as a contact person.
Police tried to track down their location, but because their phones had been turned off for more than 48 hours, they were unable to do so. According to their travel plan, they should be staying at the Dalishi campsite, which would allow them to seek cover from the rough weather inside a cabin. If they also had sufficient food with them, staying there would not be a problem, the park authorities said.
During Thursday afternoon, contact was made, with the Czech couple saying they had set up a tent near the Yue Wang Pavilion to shelter from the wind and rain, the Liberty Times reported. The park passed their coordinates on to the fire department, which would find a suitable time to send a team over, as the hikers were not in any immediate danger.
On Wednesday, the park persuaded 28 hiking teams not to enter Taroko, while 13 groups were told to leave the area. The two Czechs were the only hikers the authorities had been unable to contact.
