Police Rescue 85-Year-Old Man After Tracing His Umbrella to a Mountain Ravine

An umbrella left beside a railing gave police the crucial clue that led them to an 85-year-old man missing in the night at Keelung's Wangyou Valley.

The man, identified by his surname Yang, had gone out alone during the day and failed to return. His family searched places he might have visited before reporting him missing to the Badouzi police station at 8:16 p.m.

Station chief Chen Chih-feng assigned officers to review surveillance footage around Yang's home. The footage showed him taking a taxi to Wangyou Valley. At 9:17 p.m., officer Hu Pin-hong found an umbrella Yang had carried beside a railing at the area's 65 Highland. Police suspected he had fallen into the valley and called firefighters for help.

Firefighters used a drone and conducted a ground search despite the difficult terrain and poor nighttime visibility. At 9:48 p.m., they found Yang trapped in a ravine. He was conscious and complained of chest pain, but suffered only minor injuries. Rescuers carried him to hospital, where he was found to be out of danger.

Chen urged families with elderly relatives to monitor their movements and consider location-enabled devices or contact information attached to clothing and personal belongings. He said families should call police immediately if someone goes missing.

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If you find that a family member is unreachable or may be missing, call 110 or report it to the nearest police station immediately.