WSAR praised for perilous midnight rescue off Table Mountain
Cape Town - Local paramedics have been praised for a courageous mountain rescue in the dead of night near Blinkwater ravine, on cliffs high above Clifton’s beaches.
The perilous rescue by the paramedics, who serve in the Western Cape Department of Health’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS), took place just after 1am on Tuesday morning, said mountain rescue organisation Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) in a statement.
“A pair of friends, in their 20s, had started their hike up Platteklip Gorge on Monday morning but became lost soon after reaching the top of Table Mountain. This, after reportedly being given inaccurate route information about the second part of their intended hike.
“Now hiking in the dark of night without any torches, they saw the lights of the Atlantic Seaboard, down below them, and decided to descend a gully - still guided by poor information. One hiker, 28, tumbled down the mountainside, and then fell a further seven metres, into a rocky river ravine,” said WSAR.
His friend, uninjured but stranded above on the steep mountainside, called WSAR for help.
A WSAR team was driven up the back “Table”, and continued on foot in search of the hikers.
“A drone from EMS Drone Unit was used to guide the rescue team to the stranded hiker. Once on scene, the team safe-tied the stranded hiker, before sending an EMS paramedic, accompanied by a rescue climber, down to the injured patient. After assessing the patient's injuries, additional medical assistance was requested and a second EMS paramedic immediately lowered himself down the cliff, to the patient’s aid,” said WSAR.
The fallen patient was seriously injured and treatment was made difficult by cold, dark and wet conditions and the challenging, steep mountain terrain.
The assistance of the EMS rescue helicopter was requested, and the helicopter arrived soon after first light.
“The stranded hiker was safe-tied in a rescue harness and helmet, before being hoisted up into the aircraft. The second patient was packaged into a stretcher, hoisted off the mountain and both patients were flown to a landing zone in Camps Bay. The pair were then taken to hospital by ambulance,” said WSAR.
WSAR team leader Andrew Lewis said: “These were world-class paramedics in action.
“We are blessed to have paramedics of such skilled and courageous character serving the people of the Western Cape. We salute both these heroes, their colleagues and the entire Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team, for their selfless work.”
Hikers and mountain users have been urged to save the WSAR emergency contact number 021 937 0300.
Cape Times