Taiwan’s annual Sun Moon Lake swimming event is a popular activity for those who want to challenge themselves, but this year, unexpectedly high numbers have resulted in more problems than usual.
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Sun Moon Lake’s annual swimming event saw more than 30,000 participants and observers on Sunday. Compared to 2022’s 18,000 swimmers, 24,000 people stood up to the 3-kilometer challenge.
One yacht captain said it had been years since he’d seen this size of a crowd. To ferry this number of people back and forth between the docks, boat operators increased the speed and sailings, creating choppy conditions up to a meter high.
The unexpectedly popular event has resulted in more injuries and the unfortunate death of one 25-year-old man, who passed away shortly after being pulled from the water. Incidents include one broken arm, 52 people with cramps, 19 people suffering from hypothermia, and 55 people reporting chest tightness.
One woman was reported missing and helicopters were dispatched to find her, though she was eventually discovered to have gone home without checking in with her team leader.
Nantou County Sports and Healthcare Education Section Chief Tsai Chen-fa (蔡振發) said that because some 6,000 more people attended the event than last year, more injuries were inevitable. The number of medical personnel was increased from 154 to 218 in anticipation of the crowds. Tsai asks future swimmers to assess their physical condition beforehand and make sure to do adequate training and warm-up to reduce the occurrence of accidents.
With crowded outdoor activities returning to popularity, we hope that events such as the Sun Moon Lake challenge will go more swimmingly.