Durban — A rock climber was critically injured after falling from a rock face in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday morning.
The KwaZulu Private Ambulance (KZPA) service responded to a patient who fell near Cathkin Peak on Saturday morning around 11am.
KZPA spokesperson Chantell Botha said that when emergency services arrived, they found that a rock climber, a man believed to be in his 30s, had lost their footing and fallen approximately 10 metres.
“Paramedics quickly assessed the scene and found that the patient had sustained critical injuries,” Botha said.
“Together, paramedics with SAPS Search and Rescue, using specialised rope rescue equipment, spent over 7 hours working to stabilise the patient and move the patient to safety.”
Botha added that the patient was then transported to a specialist facility in Pietermaritzburg for further treatment.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, a 34-year-old man fell while rock climbing at the Silvermine Nature Reserve in Cape Town in June.
The climber was nearing the top of a popular climbing route at Lower Silvermine, above Tokai, when he fell approximately two metres, Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) said.
“He was leading the route, a technique in rock climbing where the lead climber clips their rope to the climbing protection as they ascend the climbing route, while their second (or belayer) remains at the base of the route holding the rope to protect the lead climber in the event of a fall. He was above his last protected point when he fell and unfortunately collided with a protruding rock edge before his belayer arrested his fall.
“Unable to continue climbing, his belayer slowly lowered him down to the base of the cliff to assess his injuries. The pair decided to call for help when it became apparent that he was unable to walk. Once on scene, team members quickly hiked to the patient’s location,” WSAR said.
The injured man was assessed and treated by a rescue paramedic before being placed on a stretcher and taken to safety.
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