Muscat: Eight Omanis were rescued by the Oman Police Aviation after they lost their way while trekking in Jebel Al Akdhar on Saturday.
A rescue helicopter transported the Omanis to Jebel Al Akhdar health centre and they are all in stable health condition, according to a statement from Royal Oman Police (ROP).
Oman police urged trekkers to follow safety precautions, carry route maps, have first aid kits, water and food.
Jebel Al Akhdar is part of the Hajar mountain range in Oman, and it’s the country’s highest mountain at over 10,000 feet.
More than 20 persons were rescued after they went missing in Jebel Al Akhdar in 2015, an Oman police official told Gulf News. Some of them sustained medium to severe injuries after they fell down in the rugged terrain, added the official.
Ahmad Al Riyami, a climber from Al Ain village of Jebel Al Akhdar, told Gulf News, that climbing Jebel Al Akhdar requires very high skills due to the rough terrain.
Al Riyami added that many tourists lost their way while trekking there as they didn’t know the area very well.
Last August, a British national of Pakistani origin died from heat exposure and dehydration while hiking on an Omani mountainside along the UAE border.
UAE resident Bushra Farooqui succumbed to the elements after she inexplicably broke away from her 12-member hiking party and could not be located by Omani search and rescue parties.
In December, 2014, eight Emirati nationals were rescued by the Oman Royal Air Force after they had gone missing in one of the mountains of Khasab province.
