Gigi Wu, a 36-year-old Taiwanese hiker known online as the 'Bikini Hiker', died from hypothermia after a 100ft (30m) fall into a ravine left her immobilised during a solo expedition in January 2019. Her body was recovered two days after the accident, on January 21, 2019.
A fall in Yushan National Park
Wu, a resident of New Taipei City, was on a solo multi-day trek in Nantou County, Taiwan's second largest county by area, when the incident occurred on January 19, 2019. She had arrived in the region on January 11 and planned to hike the Batongguan Historic Trail in Yushan National Park until January 24. The park contains Taiwan's highest peaks, some reaching nearly 13,000ft (4,000 metres).
After tumbling down the ravine, Wu suffered severe injuries to her lower body and could not move. She used her satellite phone to call for help. Captain Chang Ching-piao of the Nantou County Government Fire Station told CNN that Wu had contacted a friend following the fall. That friend was later identified by Sports Illustrated as Alex Yang, a construction materials salesman who had met Wu during a climb of Jade Mountain, Taiwan's tallest summit.
Rescue efforts and tragic outcome
Wu informed Yang of her immobility and provided a precise location for rescue teams. However, severe weather hampered access to the area. The National Airborne Service Corps confirmed that three attempts to deploy Black Hawk rescue helicopters were aborted due to conditions. Yang continued sending Wu text updates on the rescue progress, but her replies ceased.
Two search and rescue teams, each with three members, were dispatched on foot. They found Wu's body around midday on January 21, 2019, using her distress beacon—43 hours after her initial call. Authorities concluded she had died of hypothermia; overnight temperatures in the area had dropped to 2C. Wu had planned to begin her descent three days after the fall and was near the end of her 3,109m ascent.
A distinctive climbing record
Wu gained fame for posing in bikinis at mountain summits. In a 2018 interview with local broadcaster FTV, she said she had conquered over 100 peaks in four years. She told FTV: "I put on a bikini in each one of the 100 mountains. I only have around 97 bikinis so I accidentally repeated some." Asked why she undertook the challenge, she replied: "It just looks so beautiful, what's not to like?"
Wu was an experienced climber, having reached all 100 of Taiwan's peaks measuring at least 3,000 metres by July 2016. She had also survived a previous fall: on Christmas Eve 2018, she shared an image of her bruised legs on social media, admitting she had slipped off a trail and describing it as a fortunate escape.
At the time of her death, Wu had between 14,000 and 18,000 followers. Her final post, on January 18, showed a mountaintop view above the clouds. Followers left condolences, with one writing: "Gigi, thank you for filling us all with happiness - I wish you happy travels." Another posted: "Rest in peace ..bucketlist checked, uv lived ur life the way u love."
