A group of hikers’ weekend of exploring, abseiling and river wading turned turbulent when a 60-kilogram boulder fell from the mountain kloofs above Banhoek, collided with the small ledge the hikers were standing on and exploded on impact.
On Sunday, seven hikers returned via Volstruiskloof after spending the night in the mountains. They hiked, abseiled, jumped and waded down the gorge of the river.
After stopping for lunch on Sunday afternoon, the hikers noticed a large group of baboons above them. Members of the party later reported that the baboons appeared agitated and curious about humans. The group continued to descend the kloof, unconcerned.
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When a boulder weighing approximately 60 kilogrammes collided with the small ledge on which the remaining five hikers were standing, two hikers had completed a 55-metre abseil from a pool in the middle of a waterfall.
After exploding on impact, shards of razor-sharp rock “shrapnel” flew horizontally through the air.
Three hikers were struck by the lethal shards of rock and suffered broken legs, with one suffering an open leg wound. Another hiker was struck by a piece of rock and knocked over an exposed edge, but was prevented from falling by a safety rope connected to his harness.
More rocks rained down from above, which the hikers assumed were being dislodged by the baboons.
One of the uninjured patients later said that it was the third time they had been down this kloof and the first time they’d seen or heard any baboons up there. The hiker didn’t believe that the baboons were acting aggressively; the area is full of loose rock and debris.
The hiking group huddled together, soothing the injured and warming them with sleeping bags, all while trying to avoid the falling rocks.
Despite the limited cellphone range, a hiker was able to make an SOS call, and the Western Cape Department of Health EMS/Air Mercy Service (AMS) helicopter was dispatched, along with a Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) team.
When the WSAR team arrived at the scene in the mountain gorge, they were lowered down to the patients on the small ledge.
The patient with the most serious injuries was loaded onto a stretcher and flown to a nearby landing zone, while the other two patients were hoisted off the ledge in rescue harnesses.
All three were taken to the hospital by ambulance for further treatment.
While the other four hikers made their way out of the kloof, members of the rescue team waited. The rescue team praised the two hikers who were not injured for remaining calm and doing an excellent job of calming and caring for the injured.
The rescue coordinator praised the rescue helicopter crew for their exceptional flying abilities.
“We wish the patients a speedy recovery,” said WSAR spokesperson Johann Marais.
He asked all wilderness enthusiasts to assist WSAR by sharing the emergency contact number (021 937 0300) as well as the #IAmWildernessSafe campaign posts.
Picture: Wilderness Search and Rescue / Facebook