I Drank Water from Pitcher Plants to Survive

Jaslinda Saludin survived 14 days in the forest after becoming separated from a hiking group near Gunung Batu Putih. (Digital Illustration: GoBeyondLocal)

I Drank Water from Pitcher Plants to Survive

By the time Jaslinda Saludin realised she had become separated from the hiking group, the forest around Gunung Batu Putih had already swallowed the familiar sounds of the people she had been travelling with.

The 49-year-old Malaysian had joined a group of 14 hikers and two mountain guides for a trek through the rugged forest near Tapah in Perak. The journey began on May 23, 2017, and the group continued towards Gunung Batu Putih.

During the climb on May 24, Jaslinda began struggling with pain in her legs. She stopped to rest while the others continued along the route.

By about 7:30 that morning, a mountain guide had last seen her.

Jaslinda had been moving through steep ground and dense vegetation when the distance between her and the group grew. The forest offered trees, slopes and thick undergrowth, while the familiar faces from the trek disappeared from view.

She continued moving through the mountain terrain alone.

The route became harder to follow as she went deeper into the forest. She later described repeated falls while she tried to keep going, and she spoke about the physical strain that came with walking up and down the difficult ground.

Meanwhile, people outside the forest had begun searching for her.

The search operation covered difficult terrain around Gunung Batu Putih and nearby areas. Rescue personnel worked through dense vegetation and steep sections while people from the local Orang Asli community also took part in the effort.

Inside the forest, Jaslinda had to find water and keep her body moving through the terrain. She followed natural sources where she could, and she gathered whatever water the forest offered.

Some of that water came from rivers and other natural sources. Jaslinda also drank water collected in pitcher plants, using the liquid held inside the unusual plants as another source during the long days alone.

The water she found came in different forms. She later described some of it as dark and brown.

She also collected water from dew on leaves during part of the ordeal. At one stage, she went as long as three days without drinking water before finding another source.

Food presented a different struggle.

Jaslinda later said she went through the entire two weeks without food. Her body had to keep moving through difficult forest terrain while she searched for water and tried to find a way out.

She also ate some wild plants and berries according to accounts given after her rescue. Each day brought another stretch of forest, another search for water and another attempt to keep moving.

She sometimes walked in circles while trying to reconnect with a route that could lead her towards people.

Jaslinda kept moving through the forest despite repeated falls and pain in her legs. The ground around the mountain offered steep slopes and dense vegetation, while search teams outside continued looking across the area.

Fourteen days had passed since she became separated from the group.

Then, on June 6, somebody saw her.

Nazri a/l Bah Eng, an Orang Asli villager, found Jaslinda near Kampung Lubuk Gaharu in Pos Musoh, Tapah, at about 5pm.

After 14 days alone in the forest, Jaslinda was finally among people again.

She was weak and required medical attention, so rescuers took her towards Tapah Hospital.

Jaslinda reached the hospital later that evening and received further medical checks and treatment. Initial examinations found no serious injuries, although doctors continued monitoring her condition because of the physical strain from the 14-day ordeal.

She had her first proper meal after the rescue.