Nantou: The last two of five tourists whose raft overturned on the Zhuoshui River in Nantou County were airlifted to safety from a sandbar on Wednesday morning. The rescue operation was marred by tragedy when a firefighter, involved in the initial rescue efforts, lost his life on Monday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the tourists sent a distress signal after the water level in the river suddenly rose while they were rafting, as reported by the Nantou County Fire Bureau. Rescuers who reached the area near Sunhai Bridge in Xinyi Township discovered that the raft had overturned due to strong currents and water released from the Wujie Dam.
Out of the five rafters, two managed to escape to safety independently, while the remaining three were stranded on a sandbar. The stranded tourists were contacted and confirmed to be safe, leading to the suspension of rescue operations after nightfall. Efforts resumed on Monday, resulting in the successful rescue of one of the rafters after rescue personnel hiked upstream.
Tragically, during an attempt to continue the operation using an inflatable rescue boat, the vessel capsized amid strong currents, leading to the death of a firefighter, surnamed Wu. The Nantou County Fire Bureau expressed deep regret over Wu's passing and assured that they would provide compensation and assistance with funeral arrangements for his family.
President Lai Ching-te also conveyed his condolences to Wu's family via a Facebook post. Meanwhile, public outrage has emerged over the tourists' decision to go rafting despite unfavorable weather conditions, which put the rescuers at great risk. The fire bureau stated that there is currently no legal basis to fine the tourists, as existing ordinances apply only to hiking accidents in restricted mountain areas and not to rafting incidents.
The costs of the rescue operation, involving firefighters, rescue vehicles, boats, and a helicopter, are yet to be calculated. In light of the incident, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang urged the public to consult weather forecasts before engaging in high-risk outdoor activities to minimize risks to rescue personnel. Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua indicated that the county government would review current regulations and consider potential revisions.