IPOH: The senior citizen missing for 10 days after a hiking trip at a hill near Puncak Jelapang has been found unconscious by two mountain guides.

       Lau Sam, 84, was found in a river at an altitude of 550m yesterday afternoon.

       Search and rescue operations commander Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said they were informed of the discovery by a mountain guide at 2.30pm.

       He said nine members of the Malaysian Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team (STORM) and six members of the Meru Raya Fire and Rescue Station were mobilised to rescue the victim.

       “Based on our preliminary information, the victim was found unconscious in the river.

       “Efforts to carry the victim to safety may take up to seven hours due to the geographical factors of the forest with narrow, steep and hilly paths,” he said when met at the operations centre.

       On Saturday, the distraught family offered a RM10,000 reward to find Lau.

       On March 11, the elderly man had gone out with his friends to hike up a hill near Puncak Jelapang here.

       One of his friends realised he was missing at around 6.30pm when Lau did not reach the foot of the hill.

       Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, an elderly woman who was reported missing for four days in forested areas in interior Tambunan district was found safe by rescuers.

       Sabah Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said that the 63-year-old woman was found within an oil palm plantation area at about 2.20pm yesterday by search and rescue teams comprising firemen, policemen, Civil Defence Force personnel, Rela members and local villagers.

       “She was found about 1.5km from her house,” he said.

       He added that the police immediately sent the woman to the hospital for a thorough medical examination.

       Bibia Angkangon was reported missing by family members at 8.20pm on Saturday after they realised she had not been home since 11am on Thursday.

       She had gone to collect jungle produce near her village.