After being lost for over 19hours eight Singapore trekkers were rescued by a local search party. The trekkers were exploring a forest reserve nearby Kota Tinggi waterfall when they realised they had lost their way. Due to low reception levels they could not use their phones to call for help. The young trekkers are all between 20-30 years and named, Tay Wei Xin, Law Teck Chuan, Lim Pong Hui, Wong Thiam Siang, Seow Pei Wen, Xiao Yulin, Sng Ping Qiu and Sng Yu Xin.
After hours of trying to find reception they finally got through to the taxi driver who had dropped them off at the reserve that morning. He then called the police who arranged for a search party to find them. The party consisted of 25 people from the Police and Fire department and volunteers from the local village. When darkness fell they were forced to postpone the search, but immediately resumed it when there was enough light. All eight trekkers were found in the morning when the search was resumed. Despite being lost for over 19hours in unfamiliar territory no-one was hurt and everyone's spirits were still high. After they had been checked in the local hospital the group was given helpful advise regarding how to stay safe when trekking and how to ensure that you don't lose your way. The leader and teacher of the group was not discouraged from exploring the area again.
For travellers considering trekking around this area here are some helpful guidelines:
Ensure that you are fully equipped for the journey and have a map of the area and emergency contact details. Stay on the trail and take care on slippery rocks and near the falls if there has been heavy rain recently. It is advisable to travel with an experienced guide to make your journey more pleasurable.