Hualien girl rescued after aunt, uncle’s apparent sacrifice

A 6-year-old girl, nicknamed “Little Yi,” was pulled from floodwaters in Hualien County’s Guangfu Township on Wednesday, more than a day after she was reported missing when a barrier lake on Matai’an Creek overflowed during Typhoon Ragasa. Firefighters found her sheltering on a raised surface inside a one-story home, according to the rescue team commander. The commander said her honorary aunt and uncle -- whom she called “grandpa and grandma” -- were later found buried in mud and confirmed dead, and had likely formed a human ladder to lift her to safety as the water surged in, sacrificing themselves to save her.