The weather in the Kenting area of Pingtung County today is unstable, with intermittent heavy rain. Thunder and lightning appeared in the afternoon under a thick layer of low clouds. Around 3 pm, the Hengchun Fire Brigade received a report of a lightning strike incident involving a person in the intertidal zone of Houbihu.
Prior to the arrival of medical personnel, the family had already performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the 40-year-old female tourist who had been struck by lightning. She regained consciousness shortly afterward, with no signs of burns or scalds on her body and clear consciousness. Although weakened, she was sent to the Hengchun Tourist Hospital for examination, which showed no major issues.
Houbihu (後壁湖) is a scenic area located in the southern part of Taiwan, specifically within the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung County. It is renowned for its picturesque coastal landscapes, fishing port, and outdoor recreational opportunities. There are several places in Houbihu where you can swim and snorkel, accident, as it looks like from the news video footage, took place on Little Bali Beach.
It is reported that a 40-year-old woman and her family were on a trip to Kenting. In the afternoon, multiple lightning flashes appeared in the sky while they were taking a stroll on the beach near Houbihu Intertidal Zone next to the Maanshan 3d Power Plant.
One lightning bolt struck towards the direction of the beach, causing her to suddenly collapse. Her family, unable to wake her, quickly performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and called for emergency assistance.
The intertidal zone of Houbihu is a unique ecological area where marine life is exposed during low tides. This area attracts nature enthusiasts and researchers interested in exploring tide pools and observing various marine creatures, including crabs, snails, and small fish. Like I noted above, it is not clear if accident took place in Little Bali Beach, Twin Towers Beach, or Star Sand Beach, which all 3 of them could be called by news outlets as Houbihu. However, the udn.com article posted a picture from Little Bali, so I assume it could also be Little Bali.
Virtual 360-degree tour on Little Bali Beach in Houbihu, Kenting, safe, no lightnings on our website 🙂
Fortunately, she regained consciousness before the arrival of the medical personnel, and after being examined at the hospital, it was confirmed that she was unharmed, causing the scare to be unnecessary.
Some joked half-seriously, “The odds of getting struck by lightning are so low, you could really buy a lottery ticket now!”
Kenting National Park Headquarters following the incident posted a warning on their Facebook page about thunderstorms in Kenting.