Trapped student-mountaineers in Bataan rescued

MARIVELES, Bataan -- A combine team of police, medics and barangay volunteers rescued the 14 student-mountaineers, two of them women, who were stranded in the mountain when a swollen river hampered their way down the Tarak Ridge in barangay Alas-Asin.

Alas-Asin barangay captain Elpidio Estiebar, Jr. said the Geology Engineering students of Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila and Geo-Mountaineering Group have been in the mountain since Monday.

Estiebar said waters of the Papaya River, four to five hours hike from the village, swelled and became turbulent after heavy rains on Tuesday night and became dangerous to cross.

Estieber related that he received a text message at around 8:06 a.m. Wednesday from James Angeles, the leader of the group, asking for help.

He relayed the message to Mariveles Mayor Jesse Concepcion who immediately dispatched the team to rescue the students.

They were safely brought down the mountains at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Estiebar said "this was the first time that an incident like this happened. This was probably because of the strong rains."

Many local tourists and mountaineers have been visiting Tarak Ridge which has become a tourist attraction.

In gratitude to the assistance extended to them, the students rendered a song “Idol ko si Kap” before leaving for Manila and promised to return. (PNA)