TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Rescuers airlifted a 65-year-old woman from a steep coastal cliff in northeastern Taiwan on Monday (March 31) after she fell while climbing and fractured her leg, authorities said. The woman, surnamed Chiu (邱) and a New Taipei City resident, was climbing Wuyan Cape (烏岩角) near Su'ao (蘇澳) in Yilan County (宜蘭縣) with a male companion when she lost her footing, the Yilan County Fire Bureau (宜蘭縣消防局) said.
Chiu fractured her knee and sustained multiple abrasions, leaving her unable to walk. Fire officials received an emergency call at 9:30 a.m. and dispatched ground rescuers, who then requested helicopter support from the National Air Service Corps (空勤總隊) due to the treacherous terrain. A Black Hawk helicopter arrived at the scene at 1:46 p.m., more than four hours after the initial distress call, the National Air Service Corps said.
Rescuers determined the woman was in a precarious position on the steep cliffside and could not be evacuated by ground. A crew member was lowered by cable to evaluate her injuries and secure her to a stretcher before hoisting her to safety aboard the aircraft. The woman's vital signs remained stable despite her injuries, rescuers said.
The helicopter landed at Luodong Sports Park (羅東運動公園) at 2:21 p.m., where fire department personnel transferred her to an ambulance for hospital treatment. Authorities urged the public to exercise caution during outdoor activities over the Qingming Festival, a traditional tomb-sweeping holiday that falls on a long weekend this year (April 3-6). ◼