JERANTUT: A 59-year-old injured hiker was airlifted today after being stranded overnight due to adverse weather at the Resket campsite in Taman Negara near here.
The victim, who suffered a broken thigh bone while descending Gunung Tahan yesterday morning, was rescued using the Fire and Rescue Department's Agusta AW189 helicopter about noon today.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Ismail Abdul Ghani said the victim was with 17 others and two mountain guides, when he suffered the injury while on the way down to Kuala Tahan.
"The team had hiked Gunung Tahan using the Taman Negara entrance in Merapoh, Lipis before reaching the summit. They were scheduled to make their way down and arrive at the Kuala Tahan entrance in Jerantut yesterday.
"When the victim was injured and could no longer walk, the mountain guides alerted the Wildlife and National Parks Department, which then informed the Fire and Rescue Department. A helicopter from the Fire and Rescue Department Air Unit in Subang was sent to the location," he said.
Ismail said due to thick mist, the helicopter could not identify the victim's exact location and was forced to return to base before a search and rescue (SAR) operation was deployed to Kuala Tahan to help track down the location on foot.
During the first attempt today, the helicopter was again forced to return to base due to poor visibility as thick clouds covered the area.
It was during a second attempt about noon that the victim was successfully airlifted from Guning Tahan.
Ismail said the helicopter carrying the rescued man landed at a hockey field in Jerantut town before he was taken to hospital in a waiting ambulance.