A tourist at the Regent Taipei hotel in Taipei showed exceptional calmness during a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the city on Wednesday (April 3) while he was swimming in the hotel’s rooftop pool.
Friend of man captured a video of the incident
A video of the incident, captured by the tourist’s friend, shows the man continuing to swim as the water in the pool sloshes from side to side due to the tremor.
According to SET News, the man was swimming laps when the earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. local time. Despite the shaking, the tourist remained calm and stayed in the pool until the tremor subsided.
Statement released by hotel
The Regent Taipei hotel released a statement saying that the rooftop pool is currently closed due to aftershocks from the earthquake. The hotel reassured guests and employees that they are safe and that staff members have been assigned to evacuate guests through staircase exits in the event of an emergency.
The hotel also reported some broken plates at its restaurants due to the earthquake. However, no significant damage or injuries were reported at the hotel or its surrounding areas.
Video goes viral on social media
The video of the unnamed tourist in the pool during the earthquake has since gone viral on social media, garnering praise for his calm demeanor and quick thinking.
However, seismologists and disaster management experts have warned against imitating the tourist’s actions, emphasizing the importance of following evacuation procedures during earthquakes.
Image and video source: 爆料網