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Taiwanese “bikini hiker” dies after mountain fall

Posted at 3:40 AM, Jan 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-23 07:00:13-05
Gigi Wu
Gigi Wu

Gigi Wu, a Taiwanese internet star famous for hiking mountains, has been found dead after falling into a gorge 30 meters deep (100 feet), the island’s state media reported.

Wu, 36, fell from Taiwan’s Jupen Mountain on Saturday and was found on Monday.

Capt. Chang Ching-piao of the Nantou County Government Fire Station told CNN that Wu called a friend for assistance after the fall, but was unable to move due to injuries to her lower body.

Because of the late time of day, six rescuers from the fire department began the search the following morning. A helicopter was deployed in the search, but was unable to land where Wu fell.

Wu’s body was found at midday Monday.

“Her body is still there and we will send the helicopter tomorrow again to fetch the body,” Chang said. Her cause of death has not yet been determined, though Chang speculated she may have died of hypothermia.

Wu gained fame by posting pictures of herself in a bikini atop mountains after she reached the summit.

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Gigi Wu clearly had a passion for climbing. Dubbed the ‘Bikini hiker’, she gained notoriety for scaling mountain while scantily clad. The 36-year-old ascended many of Taiwan’s tallest summits and she attracted a legion of followers on social media with her saucy snaps. #GigiWu has been found frozen to death on the side of a mountain in Taiwan after suffering a bad fall during her latest challenge. http://ow.ly/vKdw50khmdU

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The stunt started after Wu lost a bet to a friend a few years ago, Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) reported. In a four-year span, she had completed 100 hikes and worn at least 97 bikinis over the past four years.

She accumulated some 14,000 followers on Facebook, CNA reported, though the page has now been converted into a memorial. Users have posted condolence messages on her final post.

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A Taiwanese hiker known for posting bikini clad photos from her summits has died after falling into a ravine during a solo trek. Gigi Wu managed to contact emergency services but bad weather delayed rescue operations, local media reports say. The 36-year-old is thought to have died of hypothermia. She was a popular figure on social media figure and messages on her Facebook pages pay tribute to her as an inspirational hiker. Ms Wu was alone on a multi-day tour of a mountain range in Taiwan's Yushan National Park, the reports say. While she was famous for posting pictures of herself in bikinis from summits, she was an experienced hiker, appearing to use proper equipment and precautions during her expeditions.According to Taiwan News, bad weather had prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching her three times. A rescue mission was eventually sent out on foot. Her body was found on Monday after temperatures had been around freezing point during the previous night, the Liberty Times cited rescue operators as saying. In a 2018 interview cited in Focus Taiwan, she explained she first got the idea of posting bikini photos after losing a bet with a friend. Her last Facebook post to her more than 18,000 followers is dated 18 January and shows the view from a mountain above the clouds. More than 1,000 people have since commented. Many posts were following the dramatic rescue operation, when it was not clear whether she was still alive. Later comments express their condolences, applauding her for having been an inspiration to the hiking community. #bikiniclimber #bikinihiker #gigiwu #YushanNationalPark #taiwan

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