According to Malaysia’s Kwong Wah Yit Poh daily, seven ethnic Chinese hiking enthusiasts in Malaysia got lost for over three hours on the morning of the 1st while ascending Bukit Malacca because they failed to mark their route properly during the climb. As a result, they strayed off course during descent. Fortunately, they were found by rescue teams in the evening, and all seven were unharmed.
Hikers Lose Their Way for 3 Hours in Malaysia Due to Poor Markings on Trail – File Photo
The seven hikers were members of the Lada Zin River Hare Hiking Team, hailing from the Tapah, Lenggong, and Kampar districts of Perak. Some were relatives, namely Yap Chung Lok (69), his son-in-law Chan Yuan Kang (44), Hong Oi Lian (60) and her daughter Wong Shan Shan (26), Chua Mei (67), Goh Kee Wah (67), and Kong San Wah (64).
Several hours after going missing, the group was found at 9:40 p.m. on the 1st by a search party consisting of four members of the Lada Zin River Hare Hiking Team and five firefighters. All seven were unharmed but extremely exhausted both physically and mentally. They were rescued at 10:50 p.m. and sent to Kampar Hospital for examination.
According to Kampar Fire and Rescue Department director Yammin, the department received the report around 8:20 p.m. and arrived at the scene within 10 minutes, joining forces with police and other units to launch a search and rescue operation.
It is understood that the seven hiking enthusiasts began climbing Bukit Malacca at 5:30 p.m. on the 1st from beside a secondary school in Kampar. However, due to not marking their path along the way, the group strayed off course during descent and lost their bearings.
When asked, the team leader, Wong Kheng Hock, said that this hiking team has been registered for seven years and this was the first time any member had gone missing or gotten lost.
He pointed out that the group usually goes hiking together on Mondays and Thursdays, typically setting off in the evening and returning around 7 p.m. But on the day of the incident, Yap Chung Lok’s daughter noticed that her father and husband had not returned home by around 8 p.m., became concerned, and called for help.
Bukit Malacca, standing at about 4,200 feet (approximately 1,280 meters) above sea level, has long been a favorite challenge among hikers and has seen multiple incidents of hikers losing their way. On November 9, 2013, three students from Kolej Universiti Poly-Tech MARA went hiking there to collect academic data but got lost and were trapped for 22 hours. They managed to stay in contact with the outside world via mobile phone and were eventually found by a rescue team.