A Nantou County firefighter surnamed Wu died on Monday during a search for rafters trapped on the Zhuoshui River, and President 
Lai Ching-te called for a review of rescue safety measures. Lai asked the Ministry of the Interior and the National Fire Agency to assist fully with compensation and care for Wu's family and to establish the cause of the accident as quickly as possible.
What happened on the river? Five tourists went rafting upstream of Sunhai Bridge in Nantou County on Sunday, and when the river surged their boat capsized, leaving three of them trapped, CNA reported. The county fire bureau sent rescuers, and on Monday an inflatable rescue boat overturned. Wu, a 50-year-old member of the bureau's Xinyi unit, fell into the water and was swept away; he was found and taken to hospital but could not be saved.
What did the president say? In a Facebook post on Monday evening, Lai said Wu had lost his life on the front line while trying to save members of the public and called his death deeply painful and heartbreaking, CNA reported. He offered his deepest condolences to Wu's family and said the safety review was meant to prevent a similar tragedy. With people still awaiting rescue, Lai said the rapid water and complex terrain meant every rescue operation must put rescuers' safety first, with risk assessments and the necessary protection. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim shared his post on her own Facebook page, offering her deepest respect and mourning for Wu.
What did the premier say? Premier Cho Jung-tai, whose own Facebook post that evening was carried by CNA, said a disaster-accident investigation had been launched under the regulations to examine the search mission and its safety measures and establish the cause. He said the lifeboat had been flipped by rapid currents, and that he had asked the interior ministry and the fire agency to handle compensation properly and help the family through a difficult time. Cho said firefighters and search personnel had located the remaining two trapped people and were proceeding with supply airdrops and further rescue work. Citing the river's strong current and complex terrain, he asked the on-site command team to track changes in the water and surroundings, and urged all front-line rescuers to stay safe and come home safely.
Figures referenced: Lai Ching-te. — JudgeMarket.
