Taipei-A tour guide has been charged with negligent homicide in the deaths of six people who died after being swept into New Taipei’s Beishi Stream during a nature camp outing she led in October 2021, prosecutors said Thursday.
The woman surnamed Su (?) was the leader of the group outing organized by a Taipei-based outdoor experience company on Oct. 16 last year, according to a statement issued by the Keelung District Prosecutors Office.
A total of 28 people participated in the outing, which mainly involved hiking Hubaotan Historic Trail in New Taipei’s Shuangxi District, including 14 elementary school age children, who were each accompanied by a parent.
The cost of the activity was NT$1,600 (US$54.20) per child with their parents taking part in the outing free of charge.
According to prosecutors, Su insisted on leading the group on an ecological tour of the trail in the upper reaches of Beishi Stream at about 2 p.m. that day, even though there were clear signs of bad weather at that time.
Su knew heavy showers were forecast that afternoon due to strong northeasterly winds and that rainfall in the northern part of Taiwan was likely to become more substantial later that day, according to the statement.
At about 3:30 p.m. that day, the water level of Beishi Stream started to rise, but Su still decided the group she was leading should keep going.
At 4 p.m., amid torrential rain and accumulated water in many areas along the trail, Su decided the group should turn back.
However, the trail was already flooded by that time and group members even had to help each other to wade through the water, according to the statement.
Prosecutors said that Su must have known a considerable amount of water had accumulated in the upper reaches of Beishi Stream and there was a chance of a sudden surge in the stream. Despite that, and even after seeing the stone steps across the river were under water, she still neglected to take a safer route and chose to walk at the back of the group.
According to the statement, there were safe routes lower down the stream that did not require the use of stone steps to cross the river.
Su, an experienced tour leader, had a good understanding of the environment and terrain and was familiar with route conditions along the trail, meaning her decision not to lead the group on a safer route was negligent, prosecutors indicated.
As a result, two adults and four children were swept into the river and died, according to the statement.
Su had several opportunities to avoid the tragedy, but failed to perform due diligence and turned back too late.
Given the preponderance of evidence, the prosecutors’ office decided to indict her for negligent homicide under the Criminal Code, the statement indicated.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel