Missing Trans Gerah hikers rescued, receiving treatment

GERIK - Six hikers who went missing during the Trans Gerah expedition at Gunung Gerah were safely brought out by the search and rescue (SAR) team on Monday night.

Gerik district police chief Supt Abdul Samad Othman said the rescue team brought all the hikers out of Kem Kulim and arrived at Kampung Lelar at around 8.45pm.

"All the victims are currently receiving treatment at the Pos Kemar Klinik Kesihatan and are in good condition without any injuries," he said in a statement.

The group had earlier gathered at Kem Kulim with the rescue team before continuing their journey to Pos Kemar.

The operation was assisted by mountain guides from Perak and Kelantan, involving ten members.

The six were named as Wan Ahmad Aslam Wan Zairudin, 39, his wife Siti Zulaiha Norizan, 39, their children Diya Raisha, 13, and Ahmad Raef, nine and mountain guides Shafiee Sidek, 49, and Hazman Mamat, 43.

They entered the forest through Pos Dakoh, Lojing, Gua Musang, Kelantan on Aug 29 and were scheduled to exit through Pos Kemar, Perak on Sept 3.

When they failed to do so, family members lodged a police report, prompting the SAR operation.

The group made contact on Sept 7, telling relatives they were safe, though rescuers had yet to reach them at that point.

Samad said the method of extraction would depend on their condition and location once the SAR team met them.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Datuk Sayani Saidon said smoke signals spotted during an aerial survey helped the SAR team estimate the hikers' location in the forested area of Pos Kemar.

A JBPM Mi-17 helicopter from Subang Air Base brought in 11 SAR personnel, comprising five JBPM personnel, four Royal Malaysia Police personnel, one Forestry Department officer and one mountain guide, while 14 Malaysian Mountain Guides (MGM) entered on foot, bringing total SAR strength to 25.

Based on the hikers' last SMS on Sept 1, the group was believed to have taken the route via Gunung Bieh, Gunung Sepat, Gunung Belatoh, Kampung Agek and Gunung Bongok before reaching Pos Kemar.

Malaysian Mountain Guides Association (PMGM) president Muzafar Mohamad said guides were carrying extra food supplies, as the group had been in the forest about ten days by the time they were found, well beyond the six days they had originally planned for.

He said the trail towards Belatoh and Sepat was less explored and covered by dense bamboo, raising the risk of hikers straying off course, while a scarcity of water sources along the route was also a concern given the group's prolonged exposure to high-altitude conditions.