Rescued tourist from China's Taiwan recovering well in Nepalese hospital: doctor

One of the two tourists from China's Taiwan, who went missing for 47 days and was rescued alive on Wednesday, is recovering well in a Nepalese hospital, a doctor involved in his treatment said Thursday.

A rescue team from the Asian Trekking in Nepal rescued male Liang Sheng Yueh alive while his female friend Liu Chen Chun was found dead in the northern mountainous region of Dhading district in central Nepal.

Liang has been admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in Grandee International Hospital while the body of his female friend has been kept in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, according to a senior official of the trekking company.

Dr. Usha Kayastha involved in the treatment of Liang told Xinhua that the patient has been recovering and has already taken some soup. "He is seriously malnourished."

Madhav Basnet, one of the rescuers who had accompanied Liang in the hospital from Wednesday to Thursday morning, told Xinhua that the patient has been able to read books. "He seems to be weak but normal."

The families of the two have been informed of the rescue efforts and results, Basnet said. "A couple of family members of Liang have already arrived in Kathmandu."

The pair went missing on March 10. Their parents had asked the Asian Trekking, which has experiences in rescue efforts in high altitude areas, to find their whereabouts.

The company mobilized and sent its rescue teams to the areas where they were last seen. The first rescue team spent 16 days searching them but failed to locate them. The second team spotted the pair six days later.

During its search mission, the second rescue team noticed some vultures making rounds around the area that led to the rescue of the two.

"When we were searching them in the area we noticed vultures making rounds there. We identified a red garment outside a gorge," said Basnet, adding "When we reached there, we found the couple lying inside the gorge, one alive and one dead."

According to Dawa Steven Sherpa, managing director of the Asian Trekking, the couple had trekked the areas on their own without seeking support from any trekking company.

During the trekking, they had headed for the wrong direction due to snowfall. As they moved froward, they slipped to the gorge, thus making it impossible for them to return, Sherpa said.

"They had survived for so many days by eating snow with the salt they brought with them after they ran out of food in four to five days," said Sherpa.

The duo received trekking permit for Langtang National Park in Rasuwa district, effective from February 21 to April 1, through the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu. Endit