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GEORGE TOWN – A 52-year-old hiker was found alive by a rescue task force after she went missing amid Penang Hill’s dense terrain over the past day.
S. Shanudevi from Gurney Drive, here, decided to go on a hike alone around 8am yesterday. She had begun her journey from the hiking trail along Botanical Gardens with an intention to complete her hiking route near a site at Tanjung Bungah, some 7km away.
However, by 4pm yesterday, she called her mother through her cell phone to notify that she was lost. Minutes later, her cell phone battery died.
The victim’s mother then placed a distress call to police and the fire station at Bagan Jermal. Within minutes, firemen were deployed to Shanudevi’s last known location based on her mother’s information, but were unable to locate the hiker.
Despite trying to ping her location through her cellphone, rescue personnel were unable to locate her.
At 10pm, yesterday, the team of rescuers grew to over 40 personnel from police, firemen, seasoned hikers, volunteers and personnel from the Civil Defence Department.
By today morning, a drone flew over the area where she was suspected to have become lost, but the device was unable to pinpoint her location.
George Town district police head Soffian Santong arrived later around noon to coordinate the search and rescue operations before Shanudevi was found alive but dehydrated three hours later.
The rescuers were set to deploy a tracker canine unit when she was found.
Both Tanjung Bungah and Pulau Tikus assemblymen Zairil Khir Johari and Chris Lee Chun Kit respectively rushed to the scene to provide assistance.
Lee urged hikers to try to hike with companions and to stick to the original hiking trail, so they cannot get easily lost.
As the hot weather has cast a dry spell on Penang, both elected representatives urged hikers to be cautious when out along the forest trails. – The Vibes, January 9, 2022