Perak: The Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has been actively carrying out rescue operations since early this morning for a male hiker who reportedly suffered shortness of breath, while a female hiker remains missing following a climbing expedition at the summit of Gunung Batu Putih. State JBPM director Datuk Sayani Saidon said the male hiker, identified as Mohd Hanafi Neikmad, 41, suffered from shortness of breath and vomited blood, while Jaslinda Saludin, 49, remains unaccounted for after reportedly injuring her leg during the climb at about 10 pm last Saturday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the operation began at 4 am today, involving a forestry mountain guide (MGP) team and a Perak Forestry Department officer, with a total of seven personnel climbing Gunung Batu Putih to reach the hikers' location, which is estimated to take about 10 hours. In addition, a JBPM aircraft will transport 12 members of the Perak JBPM's Special Tactical Operation and Rescue of Malaysia (STORM) to the summit of Gunung Batu Putih, with the pick-up point at the 3rd Battalion of the General Operations Force Camp in Bidor. After being deployed from the aircraft, the rescue personnel are expected to continue on foot to the hikers' location, which is estimated to take about one hour and 30 minutes.
She added that the exact location of the female hiker has yet to be identified, as there has been no communication from the MGP team since 5.45 pm yesterday. Sayani said rescue operations are still ongoing, and updates on the search and rescue (SAR) mission will be provided from time to time.
Earlier, a group of 14 participants, accompanied by two MGP personnel, began the Trans Spencer Chapman expedition at 2 am on May 23 via the Pos Gedung-Gunung Bah Gading-Gunung Batu Putih-Kuala Woh route. At about 10 pm on the same day, one of the male hikers was reported to have experienced breathing difficulties and stopped to rest at Kem Batu Core along with a member of the MGP team and the female hiker, while the remaining 12 participants continued their journey to the summit of Gunung Batu Putih before safely exiting at Tapah at 1 pm yesterday.