KULAI: The search and rescue (SAR) operation is ongoing to locate a hiker feared missing in the jungles of Gunung Pulai near here on Sunday (Dec 19).
Skudai Fire and Rescue station operation commander senior officer Mohd Khairi Zainudin said the victim, identified as Lee Chin Chai, was last seen by other hikers in the area at around 10am.
He said the 56-year-old male started climbing alone at 7am, after he was shown the trail to the mountain by his friend.
"The victim’s sister was worried about the whereabouts of her brother and at 7pm had sent messages to his friends to help locate the victim," he said in a statement.
Mohd Khairi said the victim managed to WhatsApp his sister at 8pm, informing her that he had lost his way down from the mountain.
He said the victim gave the last known location and informed his sister that he could no longer message her as his battery phone was flat.
"We deployed our men to the location given by his sister at 11.30pm but the victim was not there," said Mohd Khairi.
He said the army who were involved in the SAR also fired three shots to attract the attention of the victim while firemen focused on the jungle trails, the victim’s last location.
Mohd Khairi said Syarikat Air Johor (SAJ) personnel were using a boat to locate the victim covering a 15km radius around the lake from the last location.
"The operation resumes at 5am on Monday (Dec 19) after failing to locate the victim on Sunday," he said.
Mohd Khairi said the operation involved nine firemen from the Skudai Fire and Rescue station with a fire rapid tender (FRT) vehicle and an emergency medical response services (EMRS) vehicle.
He said the firemen were assisted by 16 policemen, three from SAJ and three from the army.
