A university student from Macau who studied in Taiwan drowned near a waterfall on the island, Taiwanese media reported.
The 22-year-old male student of Pingtung University of Science and Technology, surnamed Chao, was on a countryside tour with a fellow student of Indonesian nationality.
At the time of his rescue from the water, Chao was in cardiac arrest, meaning that his cardiac mechanical activity had ceased, and signs of circulation were absent.
According to Taiwanese media reports, the rescue team was fast in pinpointing Chao’s location and rescued him just as quickly. Nonetheless, emergency help proved futile.
On Tuesday afternoon, with facsimile confirmation from Chao’s parents in Macau, the medical team detached Chao from life support facilities and declared him dead.
The Higher Education Bureau of Macau expressed its condolences to Chao’s family.
The bureau revealed that it has obtained a notice from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in Macau about the accident.
As follow-up action, the bureau immediately contacted Caritas Macau to assist the family of the student, who will travel to Taiwan. The Social Welfare Bureau has also been notified to provide necessary help.
The accident happened as the two students were playing in the water at the Wutan Waterfall in the island’s Taiwu Town, Pingtung County.
The Indonesian student said that he did not know Chao could not swim.
The waterfall is the source of the Wutan Stream, where the water can become deep during rainy seasons.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, stricter border control measures, such as mandatory quarantine, are in place in most places in the world. As such, Macau students who study in Taiwan are spending their summer on the island.
The island has a richer rural environment compared with Macau, therefore Macau students should be more vigilant when undertaking activities across the landscape, the head of a Macau-Taiwan teenage association said.
The association head reminds Macau students not to play in the water marked with “no swimming” and “deep water” signs or water that looks unclear. Students should also be vigilant against sudden changes of weather or the risk of landslide. Furthermore, watery areas are slippery and winding, so it is best to follow certified personnel.
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