"The search for the missing hiker has resumed this Monday and will be continued for the next seven days following a request by the victims family and the Honorary Consulate of Switzerland," Head of the National SAR Team of East Timur M. Arifin stated here on Monday.
The search for 26-year-old Lionel Du Creaux had been called off on Saturday evening after a 10-day operation that yielded no result.
The SAR team followed the traces, hoping to find the missing mountaineer. Fresh footprints indicated that he was constantly on the move along the highest hiking route in Java, 3,676 meters above sea level.
The team had searched the 75-meter-deep valley called Blank 75, and several places, such as Kalimati, Patok A, and Patok B, and also at the peak of the mount but failed to find the Swiss national.
On June 10, the team had conducted a search along the Tawon Songo route and found identical footprints along with a rope hook, believed to belong to Creaux at the point B area. It is located at coordinate point 08 degrees, 4 16.1 South and 112 degrees, 57 16.1 East.
However, the team was unable to find Creaux despite having followed the traces.
Head of the Management Division of Area III of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park authority Budi Mulyanto stated that the Swiss Consulate had appealed to the rescue team to continue its search efforts, and they were willing to offer logistical assistance.
The hiker from Switzerland was pronounced missing during an attempt to illegally hike Mount Semeru. The incident was reported by his partner, Alice Guignard, to the officers of Ranu Pani Post on June 7.
Both Creaux and Guignard had illegally hiked the highest mountain in Java on June 3 as they had not registered themselves and not purchased an entrance ticket that would have permitted them to hike Mount Semeru.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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