Siblings found safe after getting lost while hiking

KOTA KINABALU: Two brothers, who lost their way while hiking in Bukit Bendera, Beaufort, were found safe shortly after making a call for help.

The siblings, Pugalagan Subramaniam and Kanthan Subramaniam, both in their 20s, were said to have strayed off the trek while hiking up the hill on Sunday before ending up lost.

Beaufort Fire Station chief Mohammad Hasbullah Nenggok said the brothers, who are from Peninsular Malaysia, managed to call one of their friends, who is a fireman, for help.

“We received a report on the missing duo at around 7.06pm and a team was sent to locate them,” he said in a statement late Sunday.

He said the two men were found about an hour later some 1km away from the designated hiking trail.

He added that the brothers, who were found safe, later resumed their hike.

In a separate case, authorities in Ranua district called off a six-day search and rescue operation for a hunter who went missing while out hunting in the jungle.

Ranau Fire Station chief Ridwan Mohd Taib said the joint operations, involving the police, civil defence officials and villagers, were called off at 8am yesterday.

“We will resume the search for the victim if there are any new leads that could help rescuers locate him.

“For now, we have to end our search and rescue operation,” he said in a statement yesterday.

It was reported that Jurin Sahantoh, 62, was last seen on July 21, leaving his home in Kampung Patau to go hunting in the jungle nearby. His family only reported him missing on Aug 2 after failing to locate him.