Two hikers, a 67-year-old man and another 51-year-old man went missing on 10 April in the forests of MacRitchie Nature Trail and Reservoir Park, resulting in the Singapore Police Force, the Gurkha Contingent and the Aerial Response Team being activated to look for them.
Officers from National Parks Board (NParks) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) also assisted with the search, and the two men were later found and rescued within 3 hours.
The police were alerted to the missing hikers on 10 April at about 5.56pm, and the missing hikers were found at about 7.02pm, both unhurt.
Singapore Police’s statement
[𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝟯 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀]
On 10 April 2023 at 4.56pm, the Police were informed that a man was lost in the forested area within the MacRitchie Nature Trail & Reservoir Park.
Police resources including officers from Tanglin Division, Gurkha Contingent and the Aerial Response Team were swiftly deployed to locate the missing man. Officers from NParks and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, also assisted in the search.
The missing man was subsequently located at 7.02pm. He was found together with a fellow male hiker. Both men, aged 67 and 51, were unhurt.
NParks would also like to advise the public to stay on the designated trails while trekking, and observe the opening hours of our nature reserves and nature parks, which are 7am to 7pm. For urgent matters, they can call the NParks helpline at 1800-471 7300.
Public advised to stay on the trail(s)
To prevent hikers from getting lost while hiking, NParks advised the public to try and stay on the designated trail because stepping off the trails could result in them getting lost, as well as disturbing the natural habitat by stepping on the flora and fauna in the area.
NParks also advised hikers to observe the operating hours of 7am to 7pm for the nature reserves and parks to ensure their safety, as it lets the wildlife rest, as well as not to disturb the nocturnal animals.