Falling into a Gorge While Hiking Alone... What Was the Escape Secret of the Former Plumber?

Taiwanese Hiker Safely Rescued After Ten Days
Water Pipe to Village Blocked, Alerting Rescue Teams

A man in his 50s from Taiwan who fell 10 meters into a gorge while hiking was rescued after ten days. The former plumber used his ingenuity to cut a water pipe and signal his location, ultimately enabling his escape.

On the 8th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Mr. Jangmo (54) from Taiwan was rescued after being stranded for 10 days on Fenghuang Mountain in Nantou City. On the 12th of last month, Jangmo fell into a gorge 10 meters below while hiking alone on Fenghuang Mountain. At the time of the fall, he injured his right leg and was unable to walk, and he did not have a mobile phone to call for help.

A Taiwanese hiker isolated for ten days while hiking alone [Image source=Social Networking Service (SNS) capture]

Despite this, he remained hopeful and tried to escape. While surveying his surroundings, Jangmo found a PVC pipe. This water pipe supplied water to nearby villagers. Nearby, there was also a plant called 'Giant Taro' with sturdy stems and large leaves. As a former plumber, Jangmo came up with a clever plan to use these to escape.

He used a Swiss army knife he had to cut the water pipe and then blocked it with the Giant Taro stems nearby. This was to cut off the water supply to the village. On the 10th day of his ordeal, villagers noticed a problem with the water pipe and traced the cause, eventually finding him.

At the time of rescue, Jangmo was conscious and had injuries to his right leg and left hip, but was reported to be in relatively good health with no life-threatening conditions. He was then taken to a hospital for treatment. Local netizens who heard Jangmo's story responded with comments such as "Really clever" and "Amazing. I think I would have just drunk water every day."

SCMP also reported that there have been other cases where stranded hikers used their wits to be rescued. In 2022, a man in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, was trapped in the mountains for 17 days due to an earthquake. He recalled survival skills he had seen on British survival expert Bear Grylls' TV show, drinking moss water and eating wild kiwi fruit to survive until he was safely rescued. Additionally, in 2021, a teenage boy in Canada got lost in the mountains in cold weather but was rescued after surviving by making a snow cave.