Five die in Taiwan canyoning accident

TAIPEI -- The bodies of five people swept away by a flash food while canyoning in Taiwan on Sunday have been retrieved, while a 15-year-old girl survived the ordeal, rescuers said on Monday.

The body of the last victim, a 44-year-old woman, was found at about 5 p.m. on Monday near a bridge on a river in Pinglin District, New Taipei City.

Four adults and two teenagers went missing at midday on Sunday after heavy rain hit the area. They were among a group of 24 people on the canyoning trip.

Survivor Ho Yu-chieh suffered minor bruises. She managed to grab the branches of a tree on a rock in the river after she was washed away. She climbed onto the rock after the flood retreated, according to media reports.

She shouted for help but was not heard. Later she went ashore and rested on the bank overnight. In the morning, she walked to a nearby house and was received by a villager.