RANAU: Firemen had to give a female climber who sprained her left ankle a “piggyback ride” from the fifth shelter, Villosa, at 2,691m of Mount Kinabalu, a kilometre down the mountain on Tuesday afternoon.
Ranau Fire and Rescue Services Department Chief Ridwan Mohd Taib said a team of nine, comprising two from the district fire station and seven from Mountain Search and Rescue (Mosar), was dispatched to the location after receiving a distress call from a mountain guide at 1.30pm.
The Mosar team comprises off-duty mountain guides who work voluntarily for the department.
“The team arrived at the location at 3pm and found the 33-year-old local woman at the Villosa Shelter, accompanied by her guide.
“She had accidentally slipped and sprained her ankle while scaling down the area, which is an open rocky stretch,” he said.
Ridwan added that from the fourth shelter, Pondok Lowii, the victim was carried down to the Timpohon Gate, the main starting point, before ascending Mount Kinabalu using a Robinson stretcher.
“The victim was transported to the Ranau Hospital for further treatment,” he said, adding that the operation was called off at 6.52pm.
