Missing French tourist found alive in Mountain Province ravine

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – A French tourist who has been missing for a week was found alive at the bottom of a ravine in Barlig, Mountain Province, by the police Wednesday night, January 22.

Jacques Francioly, 70, was found emaciated in a ravine in Sitio Sikling, Barangay Latang, and was rushed to the Barlig District Hospital. He will be transferred to the Luis Hora Memorial Hospital Thursday, January 23.

On January 21, Edelwina Manonggit, manager of the Halfway Inn and Restaurant in Barlig, reported to police that Francioly had been missing since January 14.

The French tourist checked in at the inn on January 13 and told a worker that he would go around sight-seeing the place.

He didn’t return. When Manonggit peeped into the window, she saw Francioly’s equipment still plugged in and some of his clothes still around.

The police said Francioly was approached by some of the tour guides if he needed their services, but the French man told them he would be going to Natonin town instead.

Upon the report of Manonggit, the police conducted a search and rescue operation on January 22 with the Barlig local government unit headed by Mayor Clark Ngaya, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, barangay officials of Latang, Barlig Municipal Police Station, Barlig Environmental Tour Guides Organization, and civilian volunteers.

At 3 pm, Shadrack Cablog, one of the tour guides, told the municipal tourism office that they found a person at the ravine in Sikling. They talked to the person and he said that he was Francioly.

He was emaciated and in need of immediate medical attention. It took 5 hours to bring him to the town center and was brought to the Barlig District Hospital. – Rappler.com