THE SWIFT response of those from the Special Malaysian Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) led to the dramatic rescue of six youth who were trapped by a sudden rising tide at a swamp while hiking in the deep jungle of Pulau Arang, southern Sarawak, yesterday.
The six male trekkers, two of whom are Indonesians, were rescued at about 6pm and safely taken out of the dangerously flooded area by rescue boats.
The rescue team was dispatched after the Lundu district Fire and Rescue (Bomba) Station was alerted to the emergency.
According to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department, the trekkers had been caught off-guard by swiftly rising waters but they managed to send a call for help.
“All the six were relocated safely and they did not sustain any injuries,” it said.
“They were transported out of the flooded area to safer grounds by rescue boats.”
This is not the first time that jungle trekkers have found themselves trapped by swiftly rising floods.
A similar misadventure took place at night on February 12 this year.
A group of 41 people who went camping in Bukit Goram in Kapit district had found themselves trapped by an overflowing river along the site where they had set up their tents. The group included 21 children. They were rescued from the flooded location and taken to safety by the Kapit Bomba station rescue unit.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department had then confirmed that the 41 campers were rescued.
The campers were caught by rising river water at about 8pm following a heavy rain.
“Fire and rescue units from Kapit town located them and used ropes and rescue equipment to bring them out of the flooded area,” it said. – The Vibes, March 11, 2024
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