TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A helicopter rescued four hikers from Shei-pa National Park on Sunday after two separate hiking groups encountered freezing conditions on Hsuehshan’s (雪山) western ridge, incidents that resulted in two deaths from hypothermia, authorities said.
In the latest case, a five-member hiking team requested help Saturday morning after suffering hypothermia while traversing the western ridge of Hsuehshan, Taiwan’s second-highest peak. The Taichung City Fire Department said one hiker in the group, surnamed Tien (田), lost consciousness and died from hypothermia, per CNA.
The department said the four surviving hikers had only one day’s worth of food, along with wet sleeping bags and clothing. The National Airborne Service Corps dispatched a Black Hawk helicopter, which landed near the hikers at 10:24 a.m., with a search-and-rescue team guiding the survivors aboard.
The helicopter returned to Taichung International Airport at 10:51 a.m., where the hikers were transferred by ambulance to a hospital. Authorities said recovery of Tien’s body was delayed due to heavy snow and difficult terrain, with plans to move the body to a suitable location and airlift it once weather conditions improve.
A day earlier, on Friday, another hiker, surnamed Lin (林), died after losing consciousness due to hypothermia while traveling with a group of six along a similar section of Hsuehshan’s western ridge.
Miaoli’s Fifth Disaster Relief and Rescue Brigade Capt. Yang Li-pin (楊力品) said the unit received a report about Lin at 2:53 p.m. Friday and immediately dispatched rescue personnel. However, weather conditions made helicopter support impossible, prompting authorities to send two ground teams of eight first responders each.
Yang said icy and rain-soaked trails significantly slowed progress, and rescuers were not expected to reach Lin until around noon Monday.
Search-and-rescue operations in Taiwan’s remote mountainous areas are challenging due to difficult terrain, poor communications, and rapidly changing weather, which can also prevent helicopter access. Authorities reminded hikers to prepare cold-weather equipment and assess their physical condition before setting out.
