GPS system saves injured mountain climber

“You have made it, thank you,” an injured, hungry, and enfeebled Kang Chi-cheng (康吉成) told rescuers at 11:48 a.m.

However, it could be another two days before the injured man reaches a hospital because rescuers, inhibited by the difficult terrain, have to physically carry him because a helicopter could not be used in the mountainous area because of the continued bad weather.

Kang had used his smart phone to establish and tell police his exact location after injuring his midsection and other parts of his body during the fall on Nov. 5

Before reaching him, police maintained intermittent cellphone contact with Kang, as the connection was often interrupted by poor signal as he sought shelter from pelting rain.

Rescuers carring Kang downhill on foot, as bad weather was preventing rescue helicopters from lifting off. If the weather improves, a helicopter will be deployed to fly Kang and his rescuers to safety, according to police.

Kang could have been left stranded for a lot longer were it not for the global positioning system that comes with his HTC smart phone.

Immediately after his fall into a deep ravine in the Nanhu Mountains (南湖大山) in Taichung, Kang, a software engineer with smart phone maker HTC, used the Google Maps application on his HTC smart phone to establish the coordinates of his location and then called for help.

He told rescuers on the phone that he had sustained injuries in his mid-section and other parts of his body and had had food for another day. Kang also described what he was wearing and gave the exact coordinates of his location.

Shortly after receiving Kang's call around 4 p.m. on Nov. 5, police and fire department rescuers embarked on a search and rescue operation in the mountains based on information from Kang.

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