A 10-year-old boy was rescued on Table Mountain after falling into a barbed wire fence on Sunday.
Teams from Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) responded to an incident at Platteklip Gorge after a visiting group of hikers reported that a child had injured himself.
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The visiting family of five had hiked up Platteklip Gorge earlier on Sunday to enjoy the beautiful view of the City of Cape Town.
The family had started to make their way back down the mountain after lunch and had descended roughly a third of the popular hiking trail when their 10-year-old son slipped and fell into a barbed wire fence.
He injured his leg and was unable to continue.
His 14-year-old brother ran back up Platteklip Gorge to the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway to call for help and a call was immediately made to the emergency number 021 937 0300.
As soon as the incident had been reported, he returned to help his injured younger brother.
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A passing Spanish doctor, on holiday in Cape Town, stopped and assessed the injured hiker.
He dressed the young man’s wound using bandages provided by a passing group of hikers.
Rescuers quickly hiked up to the group.
The young hiker was placed in a split-coil seat, which is an incredibly useful improvised rope harness generally used in alpine environments for carrying injured climbers.
The technique involves coiling a rope through a patient’s legs and passing the loops over the rescuer’s shoulders, similar to a backpack.
The rescue team took turns carrying the young man down the mountain.
He was carried down to the family’s car and driven to hospital for further treatment.
The incident was concluded shortly after 7pm.
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‘We would like to extend a huge thank you to the visiting doctor who stopped to help the young man,’ said spokesperson for WSAR, David Nel. ‘He stayed with the family and looked after him the whole time.’
‘We’d also like to thank the passing hikers who generously provided bandages.’
‘Incidents like this demonstrate both the kindness of the outdoor community and how important it is to always carry a first aid kit.’
‘We wish our incredibly brave patient a speedy recovery.’
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Picture: Christo Lotter and Daniel Moolman / WSAR