Negros Oriental: Four foreign hikers who became lost during a trek in the mountainous region of Silab, Amlan, Negros Oriental, were successfully rescued on Saturday morning.
According to Philippines News Agency, the hikers were identified as Germans Wolfgang Schlenker, 67, and Aldwin Fink, 60; Russian Anton Chernov, 38; and a Canadian known only as Terry. All four are residents of Valencia town. They were separated from their two companions while en route to Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park on Wednesday, with the two companions rescued the previous Friday.
Lt. Col. Michael Aquino, commanding officer of the 11th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, stated that two teams were dispatched at daybreak to search for the missing individuals. The rescue troops, with the aid of civilian volunteers, traced a creek and found the hikers approximately one kilometer from a hydropower plant in Barangay Silab at around 9:45 a.m.
While three of the hikers were able to walk, Anton Chernov required a stretcher due to signs of hypothermia and knee pain. The group was moved to a nearby hut where they received warm drinks, food, and blankets. Aquino mentioned that the hikers survived three days by consuming whatever edible resources they could find.
Rescue vehicles and ambulances from the Amlan Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office transported the hikers down the mountain by 11 a.m. and subsequently to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital in Dumaguete City.
The hikers expressed their surprise upon learning that their other companions, 60-year-old British national Alexander Radvanyl and 58-year-old German Torsten Martin Groschupp, were not with them. Radvanyl and Groschupp were rescued Friday afternoon near the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes by two local residents.
Aquino noted the challenges faced in locating the hikers due to the extensive Mt. Talinis mountain range that stretches across multiple towns. Army troops utilized GPS technology to estimate the probable location of the lost hikers, aided by photos and information provided by Radvanyl and Groschupp. With no mobile or internet signals available, rescuers communicated using hand-held radios.
