Batu Pahat deputy police chief Superintendent Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said the missing victim was found after he managed to find his own way out at about 7pm on Sunday. – Picture by Hari Anggara
BATU PAHAT, May 16 — A 45-year-old man was found safe yesterday after he was reported missing for the past 24 hours while partaking in a hiking trip with his family at Gunung Banang at the Banang Forest Reserve here last Saturday.
Batu Pahat deputy police chief Superintendent Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said the missing victim was found after he managed to find his own way out at about 7pm on Sunday.
“Police received information about the victim’s disappearance from his wife at about 10.21pm on Saturday. A report was made after the victim failed to reach the summit.
“Based on the statement, the victim, his wife and their three children had went separate trails during the middle of the hike shortly after her husband returned to the starting point to send one of their children who had a sore leg.
“The victim’s wife and their two other children continued their climb to the summit, while the victim continued his hike from the starting point alone before disappearing,” said Shahrulanuar in a statement today.
Shahrulanuar said the victim failed to also return to the starting point where his wife and their children had waited after they had made their way down from the summit.
He said the family waited until 7.30pm on Saturday before lodging a police report after the victim failed to be located.
“A Search and Rescue (SAR) operation was activated on Sunday morning involving rescue teams from various agencies,” he said.
However, Shahrulanuar said the victim managed to make his way out of the forest reserve and was found at about 7pm at the nearby Tanjong Laboh area.
He said the victim was believed to have strayed about 10 kilometres from the starting point.
Gunung Banang (or Mount Banang) is a popular Johor hiking area and is located in the Gunung Banang Forest Reseve in Batu Pahat.
Gunung Banang’s peak is about 430 metres in height. The distance from the starting point to the top is about three kilometres.