By JEN BAYLON
Two out of the six foreigners who went missing while trekking at the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park in Negros Oriental’s Valencia town were found safe and sound yesterday morning.
Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office spokesperson, Police Lt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar, said 60-year-old British national Alexander Radvanyl and 58-year-old German Torsten Martin Groschupp were located around 10:00 a.m. yesterday after embarking on a day-long trek on Wednesday, March 19.
Polinar said the search operations, conducted by the Valencia Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, led to a trail where footprints were found, believed to be those of the foreigners.
The hikers told the authorities that they got separated from the four others around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
However, the search-and-rescue continues for the remaining four hikers, consisting of two German nationals — a certain 67-year-old Wolfgang and 60-year-old Aldwin Fink — along with a Russian national, 38-year-old Anton Chernov; and a Canadian national known as certain Terry.
“Most of them have spouses here. We are just confirming who among them was the last to arrive or if all of them are residents of Valencia,” Polinar said.
The Valencia police confirmed that the group had started their journey from Sitio Luwas in Valencia’s Barangay Malabo, with the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes as their destination.
“Instead of being a day hike, it turned into March 20, and they still hadn’t returned,” Polinar explained.
“We received a report from the wives of the foreigners, who reported that they hadn’t returned yet,” he added.
Despite the challenging terrain and dense forest, Team Malabo from Sibulan town played a crucial role in locating the two hikers in the rugged mountainous region near the Twin Lakes.
Polinar said Mt. Talinis’ vast range makes search efforts challenging.
The Balinsasayao Twin Lakes, recently recognized as an Association of Southeast Asian Nations Heritage Park, is known for its biodiversity and challenging terrain, making it a significant tourist destination in Negros Oriental./JB, WDJ