Rescue effort for China's Taiwanese tourist trapped in central Australia continues

The rescue effort for a tourist from China's Taiwan continued as he had spent his 27th hour trapped on Uluru, the iconic rock in central Australia on Friday

As dusk approached, Northern Territory (NT) emergency services were continuing their rescue effort to winch the 27-year-old from a deep crevasse.

The man, dressed only in a T-shirt and shorts, spent a chilly Thursday night on the World Heritage-listed rock after straying from a tour group at around 3 p.m. local time.

"It is believed he strayed from the designated walking areas seeking an alternative route back," NT Police Superintendent Don Fry told Xinhua on Friday.

"Rescue crews are undertaking a 'vertical extraction'. This involves members repelling into the crevasse to reach the man and ascertain his condition. "Paramedics were also lowered into the crevasse to treat the man. " "Efforts by all agencies and Parks Australia today have focussed on bringing the man up to the surface safely. It has been a long process."

"The nature of the terrain and concern for injuries has meant this rescue has taken several hours. As at 4.30 p.m.today, the operation is still in progress," Don Fry said.

Food and water were lowered to the man by rescuers, made up of the Territory Response Group (TRG), Northern Territory Emergency Service (NTES) and NT Police from Yulara and Mutitjulu.

Emergency services were first alerted to the man's plight shortly before dusk on Thursday.

"As night fell, it was deemed too dangerous to proceed with a rescue mission," said Fry. "Police members, park staff and two female companions of the victim remained near him overnight."

The two women, aged 23 and 27, maintained contact through the night using a loudspeaker as the temperature dropped to 6.9 degrees Celsius.

Until the man is freed and taken to the top of the 348-meter high rock, emergency services remain unsure of how they will get the tourist down.

"Once he is brought to the surface, a full assessment of his injuries will be conducted before deciding on the best way to get him down from Uluru," Fry told Xinhua.

"He will then be conveyed to Alice Springs Hospital for assessment."

Climbing the rock remains a controversial subject as it runs fowl of the culture of the Anangu, the traditional owners of the land, who hold great spiritual significance upon the parts of the rock the climbers take.

"The climb is not prohibited but we ask you to respect our law and culture by not climbing Uluru," their message to tourists says.

"We have a responsibility to teach and safeguard visitors to our land. The climb can be dangerous."

"We feel great sadness when a person dies or is hurt on our land. We worry about you and we worry about your family," the message said.

Tour groups often climb the massive sandstone rock formation, which is notable for appearing to change color during the day. A totla of 35 deaths, mostly due to heart attacks, have been recorded on Uluru. Endi