Image: Philip and Ditte. Credit: Facebook
Two Danish tourists who were lost while trekking in the forest area around Jatiluwih on Tuesday, were finally found safe and well on Wednesday (14/2). The two tourists, Philip, 24, and Ditte, 25, were found in the forest area of Batukaru Temple, Wangaya Gede Village, Penebel.
On Tuesday (13/2) they arrived in the area with a driver, I Made Astawa near Pura Petali Peak around 12.30pm. They intended to walk to Batukaru Temple. They didn’t want to use a guide though their driver did offer to find one for them.
The driver waited for them near Pura Batukaru according to the wishes of the two tourists. But when day went to night, at around 7.30pm, and the two trekkers had not arrived back after saying they would be back by 5pm. Made Astawa reported it to the Penebel Police.
Astawa told police that he had suggested to use a guide, but they had refused. “They claimed they were going to use Google Maps to find the way,” he said. Not wanting to be labeled pushy, the driver obeyed the request of the two foreign tourists. “They suggested that I wait at Pura Batukaru at 5pm,” he said.
During the time they were trekking, Made Astawa was communicating with them by phone, but then the signal was lost. “I was afraid that something had happened to them so I report it to the police,” he explained.
Made Astawa said, he picked up two foreign students from D’Bulakan Boutique Resort in Ubud. “I’m just a driver, not a guide,” said Made Astawa.
The police together with BPBD Tabanan and local customs pecalang began to search the area. The search started around 9pm, but because of heavy rain accompanied by strong winds, the search was stopped around 1am. “We decided to stop, the weather was impossible,” said Head of Emergency and Logistics BPBD Tabanan, I Putu Trisna Widiatmika. Finally the search continued in the morning, Wednesday (14/2), but until at 11am the two foreigners had still yet to be been found.
Penebel Police Commander, I Ketut Mastra Budaya, told Nusa Bali, after the search involving local pecalang, BPBD, and police, the two foreign tourists were found in the area around Pura Batukaru safe and sound. They were found about 50 meters from the car park at Pura Gunung Batukaru.
“They were checked by a medical team, and their condition was healthy and without injury. They have now returned to Ubud, “said AKP Mastra Budaya.
