A university student drowned on Tuesday during a rescue attempt in Taipei’s Tamsui River. The 24-year-old Chinese Culture University student, surnamed Lee, jumped into the water near Dadaocheng Wharf. He tried to save a 93-year-old man who had fallen into the river. Consequently this rescue attempt ended tragically when both men submerged and never resurfaced.
Lee’s body emerged at 6am Wednesday about 30 meters upstream from the wharf. The Taipei City Fire Department confirmed that Lee’s family identified the body. The elderly man, surnamed Chang, had slipped through a guardrail on an emergency pier. Surveillance footage showed Chang walking slowly onto the pier before entering the water. Police said Chang’s head went under shortly after Lee made brief contact with him.
Lee had been jogging with a friend surnamed Kuo around 5am Tuesday. The two had just finished a meal after Lee got off work at 2am. Lee wanted to run 5 kilometers as part of his exercise routine. He then asked Kuo to join him along the riverside path. As they completed their run, they spotted a man’s head bobbing in the water. Kuo knew Lee was a university athlete who wanted lifeguard certification. Therefore Kuo asked Lee Are you okay before Lee jumped in. Lee replied Yes and began his rescue attempt.
Kuo then lost sight of both men shortly after Lee entered the water. Fire department crews deployed rafts and drones to search for the two missing individuals. The body of the 93-year-old man appeared later Tuesday near Zhongxiao Bridge. That location sits about 650 meters upstream from the original incident site. Police reported that Kuo tried to toss a lifebuoy from the shore. However the rope attached to the buoy proved too short to reach them. This rescue attempt thus claimed both lives within minutes of each other.
The Taipei City Fire Department continued searching throughout Tuesday night. Lee’s sister waited at the wharf for any news about her brother. Local media reports highlighted Lee’s heroic but fatal decision to help. The incident raises questions about public safety near emergency piers. Authorities may review guardrail safety and lifebuoy accessibility at the site. This rescue attempt serves as a tragic reminder of drowning risks. Officials urge civilians to call for professional help rather than entering dangerous waters. The university will likely hold a memorial service for Lee in coming days.
