A hospital security guard who was washed away while riding to work during heavy flooding in Hualien has been found dead, a grim end to a four-day search.

• Heavy rain from a tropical depression swelled the Xiuguluan River and destroyed the temporary Yuchang access road in Yuli Township.
• The man was riding his scooter to his shift at the Yuli branch of Taipei Veterans General Hospital when floodwater carried him off early Monday.
• The crossing reportedly had no barrier or closure line in place, despite the road being washed out.
• Over 125 rescuers, plus drones and coast guard teams searching as far as the river mouth and offshore, found nothing for three straight days.
• His body was recovered this morning about 600 meters downstream, buried under mud and driftwood near the embankment breakwaters.

Outlook: Questions over why the damaged road was left unblocked are likely to drive scrutiny of local flood-closure procedures as the storm season continues.