A 49-year-old Malaysian woman survived two weeks lost in a rugged mountain area north of Kuala Lumpur by eating berries and plants and drinking river water.
On May 24, Jaslinda Saludin was among 14 hikers and two guides on a week-long hike to a 2,132m mountain called Gunung Batu Putih when she felt ill and had to stop. Somehow, she became separated from her group and found herself alone in the jungle.
An experienced hiker, Saludin followed a river to safety, although the rugged terrain forced her to divert from it periodically. Once, without a reliable source of drinking water for three days, she drank dew from leaves.
“I only drank black water, brown water, and water from pitcher plants…I felt like I was hanging between life and death,” she told Malaysian media after her rescue.
She also ate berries and foraged for mushrooms and plants she recognized.
Some of the rugged terrain where Jaslinda Saludin became lost. Photo: Sinar
Saludin fell several meters several times along the steep riverbanks, injuring her legs and head, but kept on and was eventually spotted by a local Orang Asli fisherman on Saturday. He brought her to his village, where the headman notified authorities.
The hike included terrain considered Very Difficult by AllTrails-type sites. Rescuers had to turn back from some sections of the river the desperate woman had covered.
Saludin reportedly lost 10kg during her two-week ordeal.
Saludin is gradually recovering in the hospital from the injuries and weight loss. Photo: Bernama
