Two firefighters die in rescue mission for man who drowned in restricted waters
Two firefighters die in rescue mission for man who drowned in restricted waters
2025-07-09
A failed rescue mission on the Xindian River in New Taipei’s Guangxing has led to the death of two firefighters, who were in a coma for over 24 hours. The two were part of a team of five rescuers on a dinghy that capsized while trying to save a 58-year-old paddle boarder surnamed Chen. The paddle boarder had fallen into the water near a weir in an area where water activities are forbidden.
In the turbulent water, a man can be seen on a stand-up paddleboard. Then, the board gets overturned by the strong current. He reaches over to the board to try to get back up, but the current is too strong and carries him down.
Firefighters and volunteers arrive for a search-and-rescue mission. But the rescue dinghy appears to get caught in the backwash. It shakes and goes under too. All five people on the boat fell in the water.
Witness
After the boat fell under, it stayed down there and kept spiraling. The dinghy was trapped, and so were the people on it.
Kelly Wang
FTV reporter
Mr. Chen’s friend revealed that they actually got into the water from Xiangyu Beach, and that they did not expect to be carried upstream to Guangxing Bridge. The reservoir nearby was releasing water, which added to the strength of the currents and caused the accident.
The incident was allegedly caused by water being released from a reservoir. But the Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration clarified that only a small volume of water was being released at the time, and that it wasn’t overflowing.
Chou Po-kai
Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration
Yesterday water was being released for water supply and not to get rid of overflows. The volume released yesterday from Feitsui Reservoir was 80 cubic meters per second, which is a weak flow.
Member of public
They must have notified the public that water was being released, because they’d do an hour-long announcement before releasing water.
In the afternoon of the 8th, a group of five friends, which included 58-year-old Mr. Chen got together to do standup paddleboarding. They entered the river from Xiangyu Beach, where water activities are prohibited, and then paddled all the way upstream to Guangxing Bridge. Then, Mr. Chen disappeared after getting caught in the backwash of a weir. The rescue boat being sent out for him also went under. Three of the five rescuers were found without vital signs. Two firefighters were later pronounced dead, while a volunteer was resuscitated and was in a coma. Mr. Chen also lost his life.
Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
I will also launch an investigation in accordance with firefighting procedures to determine the cause of this incident. Apart from signage in place indicating that all water activities are prohibited, we must also fully deter people and even penalize those who violate relevant rules and get into prohibited water zones regardless.
The paddle boarders violated the rules, which in turn resulted in two firefighters losing their lives.
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#newtaipei #wateractivities #SUP #standuppaddleboarding #dangerous
救援違規玩SUP溺水男! 搜救人員兩殉職一昏迷
2025-07-09
新店廣興橋昨天(8日)下午，5名朋友相約從項羽灘下水玩SUP，一路滑到上游的廣興橋，其中一人落水失蹤！消防隊搜救，橡皮艇卻遇上溢流翻船全數落水，三名搜救人員被救起失去生命跡象，兩人送醫搶救後仍不治，溺水男子也喪命。由於當地是禁止戲水水域，新北市長侯友宜要啟動專案調查，更揚言未來要加強處罰。
湍急水流中，一名男子滑著SUP，下一刻被強勁水流衝擊翻覆，他落水後想拉著槳板爬起來，但是不敵水流，隨後消失在水面上。
消防人員還有義消，獲報到場搜救，但搜救艇疑似遇到翻滾流，搖搖晃晃重心不穩，也被湍急水流沖到翻覆，艇上5人通通跌落水中，救人也變待救。
[[目擊民眾]]
“第一個那個船已經下去了之後，船就在沉在裡面，被那個漩渦一直捲，船出不來人也一樣出不來。”
[[民視記者 王毓珺]]
“陳姓男子的朋友透露，他們其實是從項羽灘下水的，但是沒想到後續竟然滑到上游的廣興橋，而當時正在放水，水勢相當湍急，因此也才發生意外。”
外傳意外事故與放水洩洪有關，但翡翠水庫管理發聲明澄清，強調當時僅小流量發電放水，並非洩洪。
[[翡翠水庫管理局發言人 周伯愷]]
“昨天水庫放水是供水上的需要，不是洩洪，昨天翡翠水庫的放水量，為每秒80立方公尺，屬於小流量的放水。”
[[民眾]]
“昨天放水應該都有講過，因為放水都有廣播一小時。”
時間回到8號下午，5名朋友相約玩SUP，58歲的陳姓男子，從禁止戲水的項羽灘下水後，一路往上游滑到廣興橋，隨後被沖到比較湍急的水域就落水失蹤。為了救他，搜救艇也翻覆，其中三人被救起已失去呼吸心跳。兩位消防員陸續宣告不治，一位義消昏迷中。溺水民眾，搶救後也回天乏術。
[[新北市長 侯友宜]]
“我也會啟動，按照消防啟動這一次事故原因的調查會。除了水域公告禁止(戲水)的狀況以外，也要全力地阻止甚至處罰，違反相關規定到這些水域(的民眾)。”
民眾無視禁止戲水公告出意外，警消救人反犧牲，釀成悲劇。
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