As Tropical Storm Mawar passes by Taiwan, it appears that the island has escaped major damage. However, some people in Xiaoliuqiu have suffered injuries after taking their chances in the ocean.
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Bystander videos from Taiwan’s outlying Xiaoliuqiu islands capture two kayakers nearly crash into a rock during strong winds brought by Typhoon Mawar. Another video shows a stand-up paddleboard instructor being carried to shore after hitting a rock and suffering a spinal injury. On the other side of the islands, several snorkelers were seen returning to shore during the storm, despite warnings from the government.
The videos were all captured while a government sea warning was in effect. Wind gusts during the storm reached as high as level 16 on the Beaufort scale.
The Pingtung County Fire Bureau’s Tsai Hsin-bin (蔡欣竝) says they received a report of a neck injury resulting in lower body paralysis, requiring immediate hospitalization.
The Pingtung County government says that since a local emergency response center had not been set up, they could not issue official prohibitions on water activities. Instead, they could only try to persuade people not to go into the ocean.