Owners of Yilan's Anong River Rafting Company Sentenced to 8 Months in Prison After Capsizing Incident Causes Tourist's Death

(CNA reporter Wang Chao-yu, Yilan, June 14) A fatal rafting boat capsizing incident occurred last year on the Anong River in Yilan County, Taiwan, resulting in the drowning death of a female tourist named Chen. The operator, surnamed You, and her husband, Li, who was responsible for safety monitoring and rescue operations, failed to provide life rings and escort rescue boats as required by regulations. Following court proceedings, both were sentenced to eight months in prison.

According to the ruling by Yilan District Court, You and Li jointly operated a rafting business on the Anong River. On the afternoon of June 8 last year, around 1:00 PM, they organized a rafting activity in the Sanxing Township section of the river. Over 30 tourists boarded five rafting boats, with lifeguards stationed along the riverbank. A 59-year-old woman, Ms. Chen, was among eight passengers on the second boat, which was being piloted by an instructor.

You and Li failed to deploy escort rescue boats as required and did not equip each rafting boat with two life rings. As the boat traveled near the sixth section of Sanxing Road, it collided with an obstacle, causing a rupture on the front right side. Although the instructor instructed passengers to move toward the center, the boat capsized after hitting the riverbank. Seven passengers were rescued one after another, five of whom sustained injuries.

The court ruling stated that due to the absence of an escort rescue boat and the lack of life rings on the raft, Ms. Chen could not be rescued immediately. She drifted approximately 1.7 kilometers before being spotted and pulled from the water by shore-based lifeguards. By then, she had stopped breathing due to drowning. Lifeguards immediately performed CPR, and she was rushed to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead later that afternoon from asphyxiation. The case was investigated by prosecutors from the Yilan District Prosecutors Office and subsequently prosecuted.

After reviewing the evidence, the judge determined that there was a direct causal relationship between the defendants' negligence and Ms. Chen's death. While acknowledging that the defendants admitted their wrongdoing, the court noted that they had not reconciled with the victim's family or obtained forgiveness, reflecting poorly on their post-incident conduct. On June 3, both You and Li were sentenced to eight months in prison for causing death by negligence. The ruling may be appealed. (Edited by Lin Shu-hui) 1150614