Gigi Wu, a Taiwanese woman, known on social media as the “bikini hiker,” tragically passed away after falling into a ravine. She asked for help, but due to the weather conditions, rescuers weren’t able to reach her in time.
The 36-year-old had set up on a solo hiking trip to the Batongguan Historic Trail in Yushan National Park, part of Taiwan's Nantou County. She arrived at the mountain on January 11 and was intended to travel in them until January 24.
Unfortunately, Wu fell down a ravine and on Saturday, she used her satellite phone to call for help. She explained that she fell more than 65 ft into a narrow gorge and said that the injuries suffered during the fall made her unable to move.
IT WAS TOO LATE
After getting her location, the National Airborne Service Corps tried to dispatch three Black Hawk helicopters to rescue her, but the poor weather’s conditions hindered the operation. In the end, they send two rescue teams of three members each on foot.
They found Wu’s body on Monday, 43 hours after she called for help.
Even after locating the woman’s body, who is believed to have died from hypothermia, rescuers had to set camp near the place and wait for an improvement in the weather conditions so they could airlift Wu’s remains.
Commander Lin Cheng-I, who is in charge of the Nantou County Fire Department's Third Squadron, revealed that night-time temperatures could reach 2C in the location where Wu’s body was found.
WU WAS FAMOUS AMONG ASIAN HIKERS
She was famous on Facebook with over 16k followers for her love for hiking, mountains and her particular way of conquering some of Taiwan’s highest peaks: wearing a bikini and long, flowy skirts.
According to the Focus Taiwan News Channel, the idea of posing in a bikini started when Wu lost a bet, and the punishment was to take bikini pics on the top of the mountain. She’s also said to have spent a total of 127 days hiking in 2018.
On her last post from Thursday, Wu shared another incredible view while stating in the caption that she was “celebrating today.” Fellow hikers and sports lovers have taken over her comment section to pay the respects and mourn her sudden passing.
OTHER ACCIDENTAL DEATHS IN NATURE
Unfortunately, hikers and people who love extreme sports are aware of the dangers they face by defying nature. Last year, three YouTube stars died after falling from a waterfall in Canada.
Ryker Gamble, Alexey Lyakh and Megan Scraper were swimming at the top Shannon Falls in British Columbia when they “slipped and fell into a pool 30 meters below.”
They were members of High on Life, a YouTube channel dedicated to sharing extreme adventures into the wild.
A DOCTOR DIED AS A RESULT OF FALLING ICE WHILE HIKING
Last December, Dr. Judith Pinsker went on a hiking trip with her family and friends through the Frankenstein Cliff Trail in New Hampshire.
At one point, falling ice struck Pinsker, causing a deadly injury to her head. The Mountain Rescue Service, Bartlett Jackson Ambulance, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the DHART life flight helicopter all responded.
She was taken by ambulance to the Memorial Hospital in North Conway, but despite the efforts from her family, fellow hikers and the medical team, Pinsker didn’t survive.
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