Rescue Team Finds Lost Climber in Semeru

Lumajang, E Java (Antara) - The rescue team on Friday afternoon found the climber who was lost in the Tawon Songo area of Mount Semeru on Tuesday. "Praise to God, the search and rescue team has found the lost climber alive in the Tawon Songo area on Friday at 12:55 p.m.," the chief of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Agency, Ayu Dewi Utari, told Antara here on Friday. The climber Aziz Aminudin is from Tegal, Central Java, and was reportedly lost in Mount Semeru on his return trip on Tuesday afternoon. "Azis was taken to the nearest health center to get treatment. His family was waiting in the Ranupani Post, Lumajang," Ayu said. The team had found the climber at seven kilometers from the cliff "Blank 75" area, which has a depth of 75 meters. According to the team, the victim's condition was weak, and he was limp as his food supplies had run out. "Azis said he got lost after following two climbers in Blank 75. Azis was disoriented and could not find the way back to the Kalimati Post," he said. Ayu has warned climbers to follow the recommendations of the monitoring post relating to the climb area limitation in the Kalimati site. The post has prohibited climbers to hike to the Mahameru peak as that is dangerous and the mount is still in alert status or in the second level. "The Geology Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology agency has recommended that climbers should only reach the Kalimati post as the mount status is still in the alert level. The people and climbers should not undertake any activity in a radius of four kilometers from the Mahameru peak," Ayu said. The Chief of Lumajang Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency Rochani confirmed that the lost climber is alive and currently is receiving intensive treatment in the Pasrujambe Health Center. "The case should be a valuable lesson for every climber to obey the rules of climbing. They should not be reckless by climbing to the Mahameru peak," Rochani said. (*)