Site Director Swept Away by Flood in Hualien's Mataian River Rescued After Ordeal Described as 'Heaven's Road' by Tribal Members

(Central News Agency reporter Li Xianfeng, Hualien County, June 9) The Mataian River in Hualien surged due to heavy rain. A site director surnamed Deng was swept away, vehicle and all, by the floodwaters yesterday. He was rescued in the early hours of today by police, firefighters, volunteer firefighters, and local tribal members, ending an ordeal of over 16 hours. Tribal members involved in the rescue described the effort as akin to challenging 'Heaven's Road.'

Lin Zhijun, a Truku tribal member who participated in the rescue, told the media that last night, a friend went to a container at the construction site to retrieve an item and heard someone shouting, 'Help! Save me!' for about ten minutes. Initially, they were unclear about the situation, but upon arriving, they realized the environment was too恶劣 (harsh) to describe.

Lin described it as comparable to 'Heaven's Road,' like an amphibious frogman climbing rocks, but their rescue process involved crawling through mud, making every step difficult and slow, taking about one minute per step.

He said that reaching the trapped person from the riverbank involved roughly three sections: the first 150 meters was mud, then they had to cross a 30-meter stream, and finally, 30 to 50 meters of deep sludge. After stepping into the mud and crossing the water, it took 20 to 30 minutes to reach the man. When they saw Mr. Deng, he was stuck in the mud and couldn't move. 'That mud was so thick that even breathing would make you sink,' Lin said.

Lin stated that Mr. Deng was lying down, seemingly on a log. If not for that log, he might have sunk entirely. 'Four of us went to assist. The firefighters had some concerns about the safety of crossing the stream, but we had rescue experience and felt we could try. Eventually, the fire chief agreed to let the four of us go down to reach the victim first.' Firefighters later brought equipment like backboards and ropes for the rescue.

The Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency stated that the Mataian River surged due to days of heavy rain. The site supervisor surnamed Deng, who was contracted for sand-control projects, was suspected to have been trapped and missing since yesterday afternoon.

The Hualien Branch stated that after nearly three hours of arduous rescue, search teams successfully made contact with the injured man and placed him on an inflatable raft. However, due to the strong suction of the mud, the raft became stuck and couldn't move. The fire department immediately dispatched 16 additional personnel for support. Combining efforts with an excavator's steel cable for towing, and with everyone pushing and pulling together, Mr. Deng was successfully rescued at 4:35 AM and immediately sent to the hospital for treatment.

The Hualien Branch stated that the successful completion of this search and rescue mission relied on the close cooperation of firefighters, volunteer firefighters, private machinery operators, and related units, demonstrating a high level of professionalism and teamwork under harsh conditions. They expressed gratitude for the hard work and dedication of all rescue personnel and stated they would continue to monitor the victim's subsequent treatment and recovery. (Editor: Li Xizhang) 1150609