If I understood correctly, a group of foreign students from South America visited this known Rainbow bridge in Miaoli and were taking a splash in the river when a flash flood left 6 to 4 of them stranded. 2 were able to swim to safety, but 2 were stranded on the rocks in a ridge all day until 9pm, when Taiwanese rescuers were able to climb down the ridge and get to them.
The students were most grateful to their rescuers.
Thanks for the info, @Icon.
I hope this is a video about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBmQPAppQ_U
I think there is a text news report about it here.
I wrote about it today:
That’s right. They were from different universities. The ones stranded were from Ecuador. If I got it right, from a group of 6, 4 were stranded. 2 swam ashore somehow, 2 spent from afternoon until 9pm on the ledge.
I was looking for it. I may write about it tomorrow.
One of my cousins owns a river resort. Flash floods are really dangerous but alert systems are still rudimentary. They basically observe the river, keep warch from tell tale signs that they know from experience. The flash flood may originate too far away.
At the time of writing only LTN had the news in print and video, so there wasn’t much info.
I like the Yahoo report who describes the guy who raised the alarm as having thick eyebrows, big eyes, and sideburns.
I guess stuff like names and ages don’t really matter…
They look like overseas compatriots to me. I know only two Ecuadorians in Taiwan myself, both long timer foreign wives - one had an awesome bakery, awesone stuff- anyways not sure if I can find out names/nationalities and stuff.
For us in Central and South America going to the rivers is such a commonplace summer fun activity. If it is not raining where you are, it is difficult to tell a flash flood may strike. And rivers here are so tempting.
Of course, as I write this, there is some fellow fishing on a stone under the old Jinmei river. One little flashflood and he is history. That is why they have do not swim/fish signs. Duh.
Unfortunately, it happens every year at this time of year in Taiwan.
June 6 last year occurred this tragedy:
And there were many other stories last summer. Too many to cover.