Woman known as ‘The Bikini Hiker’ for scaling mountains in her swimwear freezes to death in Taiwan national park after falling down a ravine during a climb
- Gigu Wu, 36, plunged 65ft into a ravine near the Yushan mountain in Taiwan
- She made a distress call to a friend using her satellite phone on Saturday
- Black Hawk helicopters could not reach her in time due to poor weather
- Wu, known for bikini-clad hiking, was found dead by 28 hours after her call
A mountaineer known for hiking mountains in her bikini was found frozen to death in a 65ft ravine in Taiwan.
Gigi Wu, 36 – ‘The Bikini Hiker’ – called a friend on her satellite phone on Saturday and Black Hawk helicopters were scrambled to save her high in the Yushan National Park.
But poor weather conditions prevented the aircraft from taking off and Wu was found 28 hours later frozen to death.
She had set out on a solo hike starting in the landlocked Nantou County in Central Taiwan on 11th January and put in the distress call on 19th January.
Gigi Wu, 36, is known for hiking in bikinis and has a large social media following on Facebook and Instagram
A helicopter prepares for departure in the Yushan National Park in Taiwan, home to the islands highest peak, Yushan
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Wu was found 5,577 ft above sea-level and authorities said the overnight temperature was just above freezing
Wu poses on all fours in the snow, she was known to have ascended many of Taiwan’s highest peaks
Wu garnered thousands of likes and shares online with her racy outdoor photos
In a message to be passed on to the Nantou fire service, Wu revealed she had stumbled more than 65 ft into a narrow gorge while trying to ascend Taiwan’s highest peak.
Wu said she was trapped at the bottom and unable to move due to the injuries sustained during the fall.
The island’s National Airborne Service Corps said it attempted to dispatch Black Hawk rescue helicopters to her location on three separate occasions, but the flights were ultimately grounded due to poor weather conditions.
It finally decided to send in two search and rescue parties comprising three members each.
They found Wu’s body at the location of her distress beacon.
Rescuers say they are still waiting for stable weather in which to airlift Wu’s body out the narrow gully, with the search party having since set up camp near the site of the accident.
As well as mountaineering, Wu often posted pictures of her healthy lifestyle, jogging and eating nutritious food
Wu takes a selfie in a stunning azure hot pool, with snowy dusted rocks in the background, she was knwon for her love of the outdoors
Serarch and rescue parties were sent out after Black Hawk helicopters were unable to take-off due to poor weather
Temperatures in Yushan National Park for this time of year are generally sub-zero and the mountain is covered in snow
Wu uploaded this photo after a fall on Christmas Eve, showing the clear risks of climbing in inappropriate gear
Commander Lin Cheng-I, who heads up the Nantou County Fire Department’s Third Squadron, revealed Wu’s distress beacon was activated at an altitude of 5,577 ft above sea level, where night-time temperatures reached just 2C.
Wu had a large following on social media where she often posted stunning photos of herself wearing bikinis on Facebook and Instagram scaling Taiwan’s highest peaks.
In 2018, she revealed she spent 127 days – roughly a third of the year – hiking.
On Christmas Eve, she also shared an image showing her bruised legs following another fall, which she admitted she was lucky to survive.
Many of her Facebook friends have left messages of condolences to Wu after learning of her death.
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