Lone hiker stranded for eight hours in jungle

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A man was stranded for about eight hours in a jungle at the Cherok To’ Kun forest reserve after he got lost during an evening hike.

Chua Lee Heng, 58, went hiking alone at 5pm on Friday and was descending an hour later when he realised that the path was no longer visible.

“Worried that I might be lost, I tried to look for signs but slipped a few times.

“Not long after that, the sky turned dark and I decided to stay put and called my son for help from my mobile phone,” he said.

The Fire and Rescue Department despatched 14 firemen to look for Chua after receiving the distress call from his son at 9.13pm.

Department spokesman Azman Hussin said Chua managed to send out a GPS signal of his position to his son and an officer called him to ensure he was all right.

The firemen, who were assisted by four hikers, split up into a few groups to comb the jungle from the foot to the peak.

Azman said the hikers found Chua in the jungle at about 5am yesterday. They brought him to safety at an exit near Taman Bukit Indah, about 3km from the forest reserve’s entrance where he had started his hike.

Chua, who was exhausted and had minor bruises, was taken to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital where he received outpatient treatment.

He said it was the first time he was lost despite being a regular hiker.