Rescue teams working to reach missing Australian man in Taitung cave

Taipei, May 13 (CNA) An Australian man who went missing last week after getting into an argument with his wife has been located in a remote Taitung cave, reportedly with a saxophone, as rescue teams continued efforts to reach him on Wednesday.

The man, a 50-year-old Taitung resident identified as "Matthew," disappeared last Friday after getting into an argument with his wife.

Since Matthew is an avid outdoorsman and frequently hiked in the mountains behind Piyoxo tribal village (小馬部落), family and friends went to search for him there, and later notified the Taitung County Fire Bureau after finding his motorcycle at the foot of a mountain.

The fire bureau set up a forward command post to direct the search, but had to suspend operations due to heavy rains Monday night.

As the search resumed on Tuesday, the search team located Matthew in a cave on a cliff face using a search and rescue drone, confirming that he was conscious and able to walk around, the fire bureau said.

Because of the cave's location in a V-shaped crevice, however, it is believed that Matthew lowered himself into the cave but was unable to climb back out, the bureau said.

Rescue workers also used drones to deliver food and water to Matthew on Tuesday, even as efforts to reach him continued to be complicated by unstable weather.

According to local media reports, the fire bureau was able to deliver a two-way radio and additional supplies to Matthew on Wednesday, as improved weather allowed two search and rescue teams to approach the area from different directions.

A rescue worker told United Daily News that Matthew had not only taken supplies of food and water into the mountains, but also "his beloved saxophone."

On Wednesday morning, when Matthew's wife called out to him in the mountains, he played his saxophone in response, showing that he is still "in stable physical condition," the person was quoted as saying.