Australian man rescued after 7 days stranded in Taitung cliff cave

Taipei, May 15 (CNA) An Australian man stranded for seven days in a cave along a cliff in eastern Taiwan's Coastal Mountain Range was rescued Friday after search crews used drones and followed the sound of his saxophone to locate him.

The 50-year-old man, identified as Matthew, was safely escorted down the mountain by Taitung County Fire Bureau rescuers after days of difficult operations in steep terrain and poor weather.

"It's a miracle. Thank you Taiwan," Matthew said after returning to the coastal highway with rescuers and family members, repeatedly expressing gratitude to the search teams.

Matthew told reporters he spent seven days in the mountains without food, shoes or electronic devices, surviving by searching for water.

• Rescue teams working to reach missing Australian man in Taitung cave

He said he had originally been hiking above the cliff area, but climbed down into a ravine after becoming thirsty. However, when he tried to return, he found the route too steep to climb back up.

Matthew said that when he felt close to giving up, he played his saxophone in the hope someone would hear it. He also read the Bible while waiting to be rescued, believing God would send help.

The Taitung County Fire Bureau said it received a report Monday that a foreign national had gone missing in the mountains of Donghe Township. Rescue crews, volunteer firefighters and forestry personnel later set up a forward command post.

On Tuesday, rescuers used drones to locate Matthew inside a cave near a mountain stream by a cliff face.

Heavy rain, collapsed trails and unstable terrain complicated rescue efforts and prevented helicopter operations, authorities said.

Instead, drones were used to air-drop food and supplies while rescue teams advanced on foot from two directions.

Rescuers reached Matthew on Thursday evening, but rain, dense vegetation and dangerous terrain forced them to camp overnight before escorting him down the mountain Friday.

The fire bureau said recent rainfall likely helped Matthew survive by providing water, while the cave protected him from wind and rain, preventing hypothermia.

Officials said drones played a critical role in the operation, helping rescuers conduct aerial searches, map routes and deliver supplies in remote terrain with poor communications.

Over the five-day operation, authorities deployed 33 rescue vehicles and 144 rescue personnel, the bureau said.

Matthew's friend and pastor, Kao Yung-hsu (高永旭), said Matthew enjoys hiking alone and is known locally for volunteering to take part in disaster relief work in remote Indigenous communities and Hualien.

Kao said rescuers were able to pinpoint Matthew's location partly because he played his saxophone after hearing people calling for him in the mountains.

"It worked like a whistle," Kao said.

Matthew entered the mountains alone on May 9 carrying a saxophone and a Bible. Family and friends reported him missing after he failed to return home.