JERANTUT: A university student was bitten by an 'ular kapak' (viper) while hiking Gunung Tahan yesterday, necessitating a Fire and Rescue Department helicopter to bring her down for medical treatment.
The snake bite was reported at Camp Botak at 6.15pm yesterday.
The department's Agusta AW189 helicopter, along with two medical staff, reached the female victim at 9.40am today.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department deputy director (operations) Ismail Abdul Ghani said the 20-year-old hiker was among 40 undergraduates who were part of the hiking activity at Gunung Tahan scheduled between June 25 and 30.
"Besides the students, the team also consists of two guides, three community rangers and a state Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) staff. The Perhilitan staff had alerted the fire and rescue department about the incident yesterday.
"The department instructed two mountain cave search and rescue (Moscar) team members in Merapoh who were at Camp Kor (another hiking trail to Gunung Tahan) to gone to the spot to provide first aid," he said in a statement today.
Ismail said the department's helicopter with five crew members had fetched the two medical officers at Bukit Bius in Lipis at 9.26am today before continuing their journey to Camp Botak to treat the hiker.
"The helicopter returned to Bukit Bius at 9.55am before the hiker was taken to Lipis hospital in a waiting ambulance," he said.
Camp Botak located about 1,953m above sea level, is the last station before the Gunung Tahan summit (2,187m) which is located some 35 minutes away.
It is learned that the fire and rescue department along with Perhilitan had attempted various efforts to reach the victim by foot and bring her down last night before the helicopter reached the camp site today.