British girl, 17, is rescued from Malaysia’s highest mountain and carried down to safety after falling ill with hypothermia and altitude sickness

A British teenager has been rescued from Malaysia’s highest mountain after falling ill with suspected hypothermia and altitude sickness.

The 17-year-old girl was reportedly taken to safety from the 13,435-foot (4,095 m) high Mount Kinabalu on Sunday.

After receiving first aid, she was taken to Ranau Hospital, where her condition was last described as stable.

Her name was not mentioned at the time of writing, but local media reported that she is ‘from England’.

The fire and rescue services in Ranau reported that the mountain search and rescue team had been called to rescue the girl at 1:45 p.m. local time.

When she was taken back down the mountain, the British girl was being treated in the infirmary at Panalaban base camp, but required further medical attention.

Panalaban, located 3,272 meters (10,735 feet) above sea level, is the last pit stop before the climb to Low’s Peak – the top of the mountain.

According to the fire and rescue services, the teenager was carried down part of the way on a stretcher and then carried on his back to Timpohon Gate.

From there, she was taken to hospital by the Emergency Medical Rescue Services.

Three mountain guides and five search and rescue rangers from Kinabalu Park assisted the three-member mountain search and rescue team in the operation.

After reaching the teen, they gave her oxygen and wrapped her in a thermal blanket.

The girl was depicted wrapped from head to toe in the gold foil blanket and tied to a wooden stretcher.

At another time, she was depicted being carried by a rescuer with her hands clasping his chest.

Symptoms of altitude sickness include headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite and shortness of breath.

Symptoms of altitude sickness usually develop between six and 24 hours after reaching altitudes over 2,500 meters (8,202 feet) above sea level.