The Joint Search and Rescue (SAR) Team successfully rescued two hikers who lost their way and became stranded in the Mount Egon area, Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). The evacuation process, which took place on Monday (27/7/2026) night, went smoothly, and both victims were found safe, albeit suffering from severe physical exhaustion.
The search effort began when the Maumere Search and Rescue Office received an emergency call from one of the hikers, Daniel (25), at around 20:30 WITA. Daniel reported that he and his companion, Yezki (22), had lost their bearings while attempting to descend from the summit to Post 1 of the hiking trail.
The Head of the Maumere SAR Office, Fathur Rahman, explained that the two young men had spent the day enjoying the views at the peak of Mount Egon. However, their decision to descend at night was hampered by dark terrain and extremely limited visibility, causing them to lose their way during the descent.
In response to the report, a rescue team was immediately dispatched to the location with mountaineering safety equipment. Based on the coordinates sent by the victims, the team searched the area around the position 8°40’8.20″S – 122°26’34.90″E to locate the two hikers.
Following an intensive search, the team eventually found both victims at 22:50 WITA in a weak condition but without serious injuries. Both were immediately evacuated to the starting point of the climb for medical evaluation by the Maumere SAR team before being allowed to return to their homes once their condition was declared stable.
Following the incident, Fathur Rahman urged hikers and tourists planning to climb Mount Egon to always prepare thoroughly. He emphasized the importance of hike time management to avoid descending at night, in order to prevent the risk of getting lost due to poor visibility.
