Last Saturday, the 9th International Hash Challenge took place in Kuala Kubu Bharu from 7am to 7.30pm. 68 men and 20 women took up the challenge which started off at Rasa and concluded at Lembah Beringin. As of 7.30pm, all 87 contestants reached the finish line at SK Lembah Beringin except for one man – Thomas Colls.

The event organizer, Petaling Hash House Harriers, along with other runners immediately searched for the missing Belgian man along the 42km forest trail including the ‘water points’ that all participants were required to pass through in the race but to no avail. After failing to find Cools, they immediately alerted the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department around 3.48pm yesterday for assistance.

A search and rescue (SAR) team comprising of 21 officers from the Fire and Rescue Department, police, and Civil Defence Force officers was then set up. The SAR mission resumed at 8am this morning and two hours later, Cools’ body was found at a slope in Bukit Tarik near Kampung Orang Asli Kerling. A Hulu Langat Fire and Rescue Department spokesman confirmed that it was indeed the missing Belgian.

"We found him after the search and rescue operation resumed at 8am. After almost two hours, we finally discovered his body down the slope," he said.

It was reported that his body was sent to the Kuala Kubu Bharu Hospital for post mortem. His cause of death is yet to be determined.