Two brothers airlifted to safety

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
TWO brothers were among eight men airlifted to safety at Indagen on Sunday after being lost in the Sarawaget Range in Kabwum since Friday.
Caleb Bowing, 25, and Elijah Bowing, 21, from Indagen in Kabwum, with fellow men and women were attempting to walk to Indagen from Lae to attend the 100 years anniversary celebration of the first Lutheran Missionaries into Kabwum.
“We left Lae on Thursday morning and started walking. There were many of us, but my brother and I left early while there were other groups of people walking behind us,” Caleb told The National during the evacuation from Snake Creek to Indagen on Sunday.
“On Thursday night we stayed overnight at Ogau, on Friday we climbed the Sarawaget Range, and we spent the night there.”
“On Saturday we went down the range, but because of the cold and rain, many people fell sick and others died. Because we couldn’t make it to Indagen, we stayed in the “bush haus” along Snake Creek.”
“Ten people who came with us died and there are many still walking the route we took. We don’t know if they are alive, sick and need rescue too. There are many still walking,” Caleb said.
Caleb was thankful to pilot Capt Jürgen Ruh of Manolos Aviation Ltd for embarking on a search and rescue trip and also leaving food for those who couldn’t be airlifted.
During the time of rescue (Sunday, 5pm) Caleb said there were three boys and three girls who couldn’t walk and were sleeping inside the bush haus.
Defol Jabber, from Morobe Tourism Bureau said local knowledge and guides were a must because there were so many small treks and routes passing through the grasslands all over the range that could confuse anyone.