Missing hiker rescued after 10 days with no food, and immobile due to injury
A man who went missing after being separated from a hiking group on June 6 was found alive, but injured yesterday June 16.
Yang Xin-zheng ( 楊欣正 ), 52, became separated from a 15-person group of colleagues while hiking on Pengji Mountain in Pingtung County June 6.
Pingtung County Fire Bureau mounted a large scale search for Yang, a hospital deputy administrative director, on the evening of the same day.
Search efforts were hampered by steep terrain and constant rain.
After 4 days of fruitless searching, a Pingtung County Councillor and friend of Yang’s posted a reward of NT$2 million for finding Mr Yang.
A private search party consisting of two professional mountain guides located Yang in a steep ravine on the banks of Jiandaowei Creek, at around 10:30 am, yesterday, June 16.
Yang was conscious, but unable to walk.
A rescue party from the Pingtung County Fire Bureau arrived to stabilize and evacuate Yang to a point where he could be airlifted out of the area.
A hospital examination found that Yang had compression fractures to his spine, and rib fractures, due to a 20 meter fall off a cliff. Yang was treated and kept in the intensive care unit under observation at Pingtung Christian Hospital. Doctors said that Yang did not suffer any internal injuries, and his life was not in danger.
Mr Yang said that he had survived his 10 day ordeal consuming only water and urine. Yang said that he had chanted Buddhist mantras, and thought of his family to keep his spirits up.
There were three or four times when he had wanted to give up, Yang said.
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