14 year old boy dies while hunting in Northern Taiwan

14歲男孩於苗栗打獵中彈亡

Reports say a boy of the Atayal tribe hunting in Miaoli, accidentally discharged his own rifle in the early morning Nov.25


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A 14 year old boy has been reported dead in Miaoli County, after an apparent hunting accident that happened in the early morning of Saturday Nov. 25.

The boy from the Atayal indigenous group surnamed Wang (王) was hunting with an adult and another minor, when he fell and accidentally discharged the rifle he was carrying during an early morning hunt sometime around 4 am, according to a report from the Liberty Times.

The other minor, a 15 year old surnamed Chen (陳) rushed to a police office in Miaoli to alert officers. However, the officers were unable to reach the site of the accident until the afternoon, due to the remote mountain location where the group was hunting.

According to police statements, the two minors were accompanied by a 36 year old surnamed Lin (林) on the early morning hunt. The three are all neighbors belonging to the Atayal indigenous tribe, from Zhudong Township in Hsinchu County.

The boy's two companions told police that the he had separated from them and went off into the woods to search for prey. A single gunshot alerted them to the boy's location, where they found him injured.

The adult stayed with the boy, while the 15 year old rushed down the mountain to seek help.

By the time police reached the scene in the early afternoon, the boy had already died.

The preliminary investigation reports that the boy may have lost his footing on slippery ground and accidentally discharged the rifle he was carrying. The reports did not specify the location of the boy's wounds.

An investigation is ongoing to examine the conditions surrounding the boy's death. The delayed response time of law enforcement and medical assistance are also being criticized by the local community.