Taiwan student missing after taking bamboo raft out to sea

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) A 16-year-old female high school student was reported missing around 1 a.m. Saturday after the bamboo raft she and her acquaintances were on capsized out at sea, according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Eastern Branch.

The branch revealed that one of its divisions received a report at 1:33 a.m. on Saturday that a young girl had gone missing at sea.

Upon receiving the report, a search and rescue team made up of coast guards and firefighters from Taitung County's Fengbin Township were sent to the area to locate the individual.

While helicopters were also deployed, the branch said the girl remained missing as of 11 a.m. Saturday.

According to initial investigations between coast guards and firefighters, the girl had taken a bamboo raft out to sea with another high school girl and an 18-year-old man.

Both girls attended a high school in Hualien County together, investigation officials said.

The trio apparently decided to hang out on Hualien County's Xiuguluan River at around 1 a.m. on Saturday.

While having fun early Saturday morning, the trio then spotted a bamboo raft by the estuary of the river and the sea.

They then decided to board the vessel and then made their way out to sea from the estuary, but soon capsized due to strong waves.

While the man and the other girl made their way to shore, the girl in question was not found, leading to them reporting her missing.

The branch revealed that the missing girl was dressed in a white top and black shorts at the time she went missing.

The branch asked members of the general public wanting to engage in water activities out at sea to check real-time conditions on the "Go Ocean" mobile app, adding that the public should call the CGA at 118 when witnessing people drowning.