A joint SAR team successfully located and evacuated four hikers reported lost in the Mount Lokon area, Tomohon City, North Sulawesi. The rescue operation, which lasted from Saturday night to Sunday early morning, went smoothly and all survivors were found safe.
According to the Public Relations of the North Sulawesi Search and Rescue Office (Basarnas), Nuriadin Gumeleng, the report of the missing hikers was received on Saturday night at around 10:16 PM WITA. Responding to the report, the Manado Basarnas Rescue Team was immediately deployed to the location and arrived at the foot of Mount Lokon on Sunday early morning at 02:00 AM WITA to begin coordination with the Kinilow Police and the families.
After mapping the search route, the joint team, consisting of Basarnas, police, volunteer organizations, and local nature lovers, immediately combed the mountain slopes. The search effort paid off at 04:05 AM WITA when the four hikers, namely Luis (21), Rainford (19), Julio (21), and Valerio (20), were found in the summit area in a weak but safe condition.
All hikers were then guided down to the SAR Post and arrived at 06:30 AM WITA for an initial health check before being handed back to their respective families. This operation involved various entities, including PMI Tomohon, RAPI, and several Nature Lovers Groups (KPA) such as Vulkano, Rajawali, and Tunas Muda.
The Head of North Sulawesi Basarnas, George Mercy Randang, urged the public and nature lovers to always prioritize safety before hiking. He reminded them of the importance of carrying adequate equipment, monitoring weather forecasts, and complying with the volcanic activity status of the mountain to prevent similar incidents in the future.
