KUALA LUMPUR – The son of the elderly hiker who went missing in Perak’s Bukit Puncak Jelapang has confirmed his father’s death.
According to Sinar Harian, Lau Kok Gian said 84-year-old Lau Sam was found by mountain guides yesterday, nine days after a search-and-rescue operation for the deceased was mounted.
The report said the victim was found unconscious by the two guides in a river some 550 metres above sea level.
The son said his family has contacted and met the guides to fulfil their promise of an RM10,000 reward to locate the father.
“The reward will be given as we promised before this, and as soon as the arrangements for my father’s death have been settled,” the son was quoted as saying.
Lau, 48, also said he joined the search party at the location when his father was found.
“A friend contacted me to inform me that mountain guides have found (my) father,” he said.
“I saw my father’s condition, and it was very saddening but nothing could be done, we can only wait for the rescuers to bring him back down (from the hill).”
Yesterday, the Perak Fire and Rescue Department said the senior hiker was found at 2.14pm.
Operations commander Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said that his party was informed of the discovery by a mountain guide at 2.30pm.
He said nine members of the Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia and six members of the Meru Raya Fire and Rescue Station were mobilised to the location to bring the victim down.
Lau went missing on the hill at 6.21pm on March 11. The other members of the hiking group he was in realised he was not following them after they noticed he had not arrived at the foot of the hill.
They then scaled back up along the path to look for him but to no avail.
A search-and-rescue operation conducted by the department since then failed to gain any trace of the man, and the authorities were forced to cease all official efforts.
Lau’s family offered a RM10,000 reward to anyone who managed to locate him. – The Vibes, March 21, 2022
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