Site Manager Missing After Flash Flood in Mataian River, Search to Resume at Dawn

(Central News Agency reporter Li Xianfeng, Hualien County, June 8) Heavy rain has frequently fallen in the mountainous areas of Hualien in recent days. Riverbed dredging and slope remediation work on the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) was suspended today. Concerned that machinery would be submerged by the rising river, the site manager drove a jeep to handle the situation but is feared to have been swept away by the floodwaters. As darkness fell, police and firefighters suspended the search and will expand the operation tomorrow.

Huang Qunce (黃群策), director of the Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, told the media in the evening that the missing site manager, surnamed Deng (鄧), is an employee of a mechanical engineering company contracted by the branch for a sand-control dam project downstream of a barrier lake on the Mataian River.

Huang stated that in response to a heavy rain advisory from the Central Weather Administration, the sand-control project downstream of the Mataian River had been suspended days earlier, and machinery had been moved to higher ground. However, the contractor, concerned that continued rainfall could cause even greater flooding, sent Deng and two excavator operators to the site this morning to relocate five excavators to the Wanrong Embankment managed by the Ninth River Management Branch.

Unexpectedly, a torrential downpour hit the mountainous area after noon, causing the river to surge rapidly. After the third excavator was successfully evacuated, the excavator operators turned back and found that Deng, who had been following in his jeep, was no longer visible. The road to the work site had been cut off by the flood. They reported the incident to the fire department around 1:00 PM.

Upon receiving the report, the Hualien Fire Department dispatched nine rescue personnel from the Wanrong, Fenglin, and Guangfu teams. The Hualien Branch and the engineering contractor also assisted. Rescuers found the missing jeep approximately 500 meters downstream, stuck in the middle of the river channel upstream of the Mataian River Bridge.

Due to the strong currents and rapid flow, rescuers could not approach the vehicle. Around 6:00 PM, after the water level had dropped slightly, the rescue team used an excavator to wade near the vehicle. Three rescuers entered the jeep and confirmed it was empty. The keys were still in the ignition, and the gear was in drive (D), indicating the vehicle was in motion. It is believed that Deng either left the vehicle or was swept away by the floodwaters.

To expedite the rescue, the fire department deployed drones twice for an aerial search along the river. Personnel from the Hualien Branch also conducted a ground search simultaneously, but no trace of the missing man was found by evening.

Around 6:00 PM, Hualien Branch Director Huang Qunce arrived at the scene to assess the rescue progress. However, as night fell, rain returned to the mountainous area, the river continued to rise, and the muddy riverbed became slippery, increasing the risks. The fire department announced the suspension of search operations at 7:00 PM.

The Hualien Branch stated that it will coordinate with the fire department to resume the search at 7:00 AM tomorrow. In addition to ground searches, drones and related equipment will be deployed to expand the search area in an all-out effort to find the missing site manager, Deng. (Editor: Chen Renhua) 1150608