Firefighter dies on duty; president, premier offer condolences

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) expressed their condolences Monday to the family of a firefighter who died after falling into a river in Nantou County while attempting to rescue stranded tourists whose raft had capsized.

In a social media post, Lai said he was saddened by the death of the firefighter, surnamed Wu (伍), who died in the line of duty while carrying out a rescue mission to save members of the public.

Lai said he had instructed the Ministry of the Interior and National Fire Agency to provide full assistance with compensation for Wu's family. Cho also expressed his deepest respect for Wu and offered his heartfelt condolences to his family.

The 50-year-old firefighter from the Nantou County Fire Bureau's Xinyi Precinct fell into the water and was swept away Monday afternoon after his inflatable rescue boat capsized as he and a partner tried to reach stranded rafters in the Zhuoshui River in Nantou County.

Wu was later found unconscious near Shuanglong Bridge around 12 kilometers downstream from where the rescue effort was taking place and given CPR before being taken to a hospital, but he was later pronounced dead after resuscitation efforts failed.

According to the county's Fire Bureau, it received a report Sunday that five tourists were rafting in the Wujie area of the upper Zhuoshui River.

When they reached the area around Sunhai Bridge in Xinyi Township, their raft overturned due to strong currents and water released from the Wujie Dam.

Two of the five rafters managed to escape on their own, while the other three were stranded on a sandbar. The bureau said it immediately launched a rescue operation, during which the three stranded individuals were contacted by phone and confirmed that they were safe.

The rescue operation was suspended after nightfall due to poor weather, low visibility, dense fog and strong currents that made it unsafe for rescuers to approach the area, the bureau said.

The operation resumed Monday, and in the afternoon two rescuers attempted to reach the sandbar in an inflatable rescue boat.

Due to the strong current, however, the boat capsized. Wu was swept downstream while the other rescuer in the boat was able to swim to safety on a riverbank.

The rescue operation continued Tuesday morning as two people remained stranded.

In a statement, the county bureau expressed its deep regret over the accident and said it would make every effort to secure the relevant compensation and benefits for Wu and assist his family with funeral arrangements.

It also pledged a comprehensive investigation into the incident.