An American citizen with the initials GS (22) got lost while trying to hike Mount Agung without the help of a local guide in Karangasem, Bali. This American citizen was evacuated by a search and rescue (SAR) team. GS left the hotel and went to Mount Agung at around 7.30 WITA on Tuesday, 13th of June, 2023. The victim called his friend at around seven in the evening because he claimed he could not find a route to Pura Pasar Agung.
“His friend was contacted at around 19.30 WITA, and the victim said he was lost. Immediately after receiving a report from a friend of the victim, we mobilised our personnel from the Karangasem Search and Rescue Post,” said the Head of the Operations and Alert Section for Basarnas Bali, I Wayan Suwena, quoted from a statement. Written on Wednesday, 14th of June 2023.
From reports received by the police, nine members of the SAR team searched for the American who got lost on Mount Agung that night. Their position is at an altitude of 1,790 masl. Previously, he had called his friend via cell phone before the cellphone signal went disappeared.
The Bali Search and Rescue team who received reports of lost mountain climbers, immediately responded by sending an evacuation team from the Karangasem SAR Post. Together with ten local guides, the joint SAR team searched by climbing Mount Agung at 22.30 WITA.
The Coordinator of the Karangasem Search and Rescue Post, I Gusti Ngurah Eka W, explained it is because the location could not be accessed immediately, the combined SAR team, according to Suwena, climbed up to 2,000 meters above sea level, then descended to find a path until they reached the position of GS.
Around 01.55 WITA, the SAR team found GS in good health at the bottom of a ravine. “When we found the victim, he said he was cold, so we immediately made a bonfire,” said the Head of the Karangasem SAR Post, Gusti Ngurah Eka, Wednesday, 14th of June 2023.
The American citizen and the SAR team descended from Mount Agung until they arrived at the Pasar Agung Temple climbing post at 04.45 WITA.
“More or less, the evacuation process takes about 6 hours,” said Ngurah Eka.
GS was then taken to the Karangasem Police Office accompanied by his girlfriend for further questioning.
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