LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines — A group of eight mountaineers was rescued Monday morning after they were lost overnight in Mt. Marami in Maragondon, Cavite.
Zeus Ruiz, vice president of the volunteer group Wilderness Search and Rescue Team-Philippines (WSAR), said they found the mountaineers around 7 a.m., or after 18 hours of search in the mountain.
The group was brought down safely around 9 a.m., he said.
“We received a report last night that this group was missing. They lost their way when they attempted to traverse (from Mt. Marami) to Mt. Pico de Loro (in Ternate, Cavite) since around 1:30 p.m. (on Sunday),” Ruiz said in a phone interview on Monday.
The group, composed of seven men and one woman, all from Cavite province, were seasoned mountaineers, he added.
The mountaineers were able to maintain contact with WSAR through cell phone, “but there was no steady signal, making it difficult to trace their location (on the trail),” Ruiz said.
Since it was supposed to be just a day-hike, Ruiz said the mountaineers did not bring enough provisions, prompting them to call WSAR for rescue.
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