Man rescued from river rocks after falling from Taichung bridge, critical condition

A man who fell into the Dajia River near Pifeng Bridge in Taichung's Fengyuan District on Sunday morning was found trapped in rocks downstream after a nine-hour search operation. The incident prompted a large-scale rescue effort involving over 40 firefighters and specialized equipment.

Taichung City Fire Bureau received the report at 10:23 a.m. and immediately dispatched multiple units to the scene. Personnel searched along the river, and a drone was deployed to survey the area. Surveillance footage from nearby cameras revealed the man, dressed in white, falling from the bridge at 7:28 a.m.

Rescuers located the man at 1:17 p.m. beneath the Huoliang steel bridge, where he was found stuck among rocks in the riverbed. After a challenging extraction process, firefighters managed to free him around 4:01 p.m. He was then secured in a basket stretcher and hoisted onto the bridge deck by 4:46 p.m.

Upon reaching the bridge, rescuers discovered the man had no signs of life. He was immediately transported to a hospital for emergency treatment. The exact cause of the fall is currently under investigation by the police.