A dramatic evacuation effort for an 18-year-old hiker identified as C, who fell into a 300-meter-deep ravine in the Mount Semeru area, has finally succeeded. The rescue operation involving a joint team from Basarnas, TNI, Polri, and volunteers had been ongoing for five days since the hiker was reported falling last Tuesday (2/6).
Head of the Surabaya SAR Office, Nanang Sigit, explained that the evacuation process was conducted using the slope rescue method. Given the extremely steep terrain and the risk of landslides, the rescue team had to haul the victim up in stages using a flexible stretcher and a safety rope system to ensure the victim's position remained stable while being pulled to a safe point.
The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Management Board (BB-TNBTS) emphasized that the incident was triggered by hiking through an illegal access route, specifically the Candi Jawar Purbakala trail in Ampelgading District, Malang Regency. This trail is not an official access route managed by the national park authority, resulting in minimal supervision and extremely hazardous terrain for hikers.
The victim was reported to have hiked with two companions from Semarang and Pasuruan. Before being found, the victim managed to communicate with his parents via phone and sent the geographic coordinates of his location after the fall. This became the key factor allowing the rescue team to track down the hiker's location on the steep mountain slope.
As of now, the joint team is still working to bring the victim down to the main post for further medical treatment. Ambulances and medical personnel have been stationed at the evacuation post to ensure the victim receives immediate medical attention upon arriving at a safer location, given reports that he suffered a dislocation from the incident.
