RANAU: Sabah Parks will investigate how a Croatian tourist entered the Mount Kinabalu area without a climbing permit and through an unofficial village route, following a search and rescue (SAR) operation after he was injured during the climb.
Sabah Parks Director Dr Maklarin Lakim confirmed to Daily Express that 46-year-old Mauro Persic did not have a climbing permit and had used a village route rather than the official route.
He also confirmed that although Persic had been located alive, the SAR operation was continuing as he had yet to be safely brought out.
“The SAR is still ongoing. We focus on the safety of our crews and the climber,” Dr Maklarin said.
The case has drawn attention to the importance of using official routes and complying with climbing procedures, particularly after rescuers initially encountered difficulties determining Persic’s location.
The Fire and Rescue Department had earlier said Persic made his emergency call using a foreign telephone number and initially did not respond to attempts to contact him via WhatsApp.
There were also discrepancies in the coordinates provided.
Rescuers eventually established telephone contact with him at 2.05pm Monday, when he reported several injuries, including a swollen and numb heel, suspected rib fractures, lower back and hip pain and a deep wound on his calf.
Dr Maklarin stressed that proper preparation and compliance with park regulations are crucial to climbing safety.
“Safe climbing needs proper planning, right equipment and discipline to obey all park rules and regulations. Untoward incidents may happen when we disrespect that,” he said.
