The British and South African tourists posed for a photo with Lạc Dương District's head of search and rescue forces after they were found in the forests of Langbiang mountain. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Two women, a 35-year-old British and a 28-year-old South African national, have been located by search and rescue forces after they became lost in the forest while climbing the Langbiang mountain in the Central Highlands.

The two tourists, whose names were given as Bryony Smith and Anica Cronje, have safely returned to Đà Nẵng City and sent their thanks to the search and rescue personnel, Sử Thanh Hoài, Chairman of Lạc Dương District People’s Committee, said as he informed the press of the New Year incident on Monday.

On the night of January 1, authorities in Lâm Đồng Province’s Lạc Dương District received a message from Nguyễn Văn Giang, 32, who was a friend of the two foreign tourists in Đà Nẵng. He informed authorities that the women had encountered difficulties and were missing.

Giang said he and his wife became acquainted with the two women in Đà Nẵng and went on a trip to Đà Lạt.

The pair invited them to climb the mountain but due to physical impairments, he and his wife declined. In the afternoon, the South African woman called Giang to say that they were lost in the forest and could not return to Đà Lạt for dinner and might have to spend the night in the wilderness. They also said their phone battery was running low.

Giang asked the woman to send her location via phone and managed to contact Lạc Dương rescue forces.

The district immediately deployed local forces including police officers, rangers, military personnel and firefighters to search for the tourists.

The rescue forces managed to find the two tourists the same night in a state of exhaustion as the temperatures had dropped significantly, while their phones were out of power.

The pair was then brought back to Lạc Dương township.

Đặng Ngọc Hiệp, head of the search and rescue authorities of Lạc Dương township, said the lesson was that all outdoor adventure trips should be organised and the local authorities should be notified of the plan. — VNS