Cape Town - The dedicated teams of professionals and volunteers from Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) safely retrieved visiting hikers in two separate mountain rescues on Wednesday.
In their first rescue, WSAR assisted an Australian hiker, believed to be in his 50s, after he fell while hiking at Blinkwater Ravine above Camps Bay on Wednesday morning.
“He slipped and fell while attempting to ascend a steep section of the trail, injuring his ankle. A call for assistance was made after he was unable to hike any further. WSAR teams were immediately activated and were quickly transported to the top of the mountain with the kind assistance of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.
“The teams swiftly made their way across and down to the patient. He was assessed on scene, and the Western Cape Department of Health EMS / Air Mercy Service (AMS) rescue helicopter was called on for assistance,” said WSAR in a statement.
The patient was put into a rescue harness and hoisted safely up into the helicopter before being flown to a nearby landing zone. He was later transported to hospital by ambulance.
In another rescue operation, a foreign family of four from Norway - including two children aged nine and eleven - were rescued from Blind Gully above Camps Bay after they lost their way while ascending the Diagonal Route.
They continued to follow a faint trail after they missed the turn off, and a call for help was made after they felt it was unsafe to proceed.
The Western Cape Department of Health EMS /AMS rescue helicopter was already in the area, busy with the Blinkwater rescue, and a decision was taken to hoist the stranded family into the helicopter. They were flown to a nearby landing zone.
David Nel, a spokesperson for WSAR, said: “The team members continue to humble us with their commitment, giving up time with their families to rush to the aid of distressed hikers. We’ve had a busy start to the new year with teams responding to multiple callouts each day, and yet there seems to be no end to their commitment.
“We wish our patients a speedy recovery and hope that they (all of today’s patients) enjoy more of our beautiful province,” said Nel.
The WSAR emergency contact number is: 021 937 0300.
Cape Times