Hiker falls to his death on Yushan

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) A hiker fell to his death on Yushan (Jade Mountain) Monday as he made his way down the mountain having reached the summit earlier in the day, Nantou County Fire Department said on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old climber, identified by the surname Huang (黃), slipped and plunged to his death down a 300-meter-high slope from a spot about 150 meters below the summit, the department said.

Huang was part of an 11-member trekking team from Kaohsiung, which entered the Tataka Trailhead to the 3,952-meter peak of Yushan on Sunday.

Other team members immediately called 119 for emergency services after the incident when Huang was unresponsive.

Five firemen and four staffers from Yushan National Park Headquarters (YNPH) were separately sent to rescue the fallen climber after receiving the report.

However, when Huang's body was found around noon on Monday by the four staffers, there were no vital signs.

Due to the rugged terrain, it took time for the nine rescuers to move Huang's body to a place where it could be airlifted Tuesday morning, before a National Airborne Service Corps chopper arrived to carry it to Nantou County's Xinyi Township at around 8 a.m.

Huang's body was later handed over to the police.