Following a report from a horse rider whose horse got stuck in the sand, Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has issued a cautionary warning to recreational users of sinking sand along the Noordhoek Beach shoreline.
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‘We kindly request visitors to avoid this area for a few days or until the situation improves,’ TMNP said in a social media statement.
‘TMNP rangers will continue to monitor this area for the safety of the park users. We apologise for the inconvenience caused,’ concluded the statement.
In the comment section, horse rider Marilize Burger said she was riding during high tide in the permitted area, wanting to cross directly opposite the access path entrance, when the incident occurred at the high tide mark.
While the cause of the sinking sand has not been confirmed, Burger speculated that ‘the rain from last night, as little as it was, must have impacted the integrity of the sand and [she] couldn’t spot the patches’.
She added that there are usually signs of sinking sand patches, which are not an uncommon feature of the Noordhoek Beach shore, and that riders often come across them. This time, however, she was unable to distinguish them.
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According to the community Facebook group Friends of the Dog Walkers (FDW), both the ‘horse and rider are safe’.
The group also reiterated TMNP’s warning, saying the sinking sand along the Noordhoek Beach shore ‘has created a very dangerous situation for people, dogs and horses’.
‘Please avoid the shoreline today and exercise caution in the coming days,’ urged FDW.
Providing more details of the incident in the comment section of FDW’s post, Burger said the horse, Bitou, attempted to jump out of the sinking sand while she was on his back but was unable to do so, so she jumped off.
‘[Bitou] tried to get out a few more times but then stopped because he was so tired. I then waited a few minutes for him to just catch his breath. When his breathing slowed a bit, I shouted and pulled at the same time and then he tried again and managed to get out,’ said Burger.
When asked whether it would be safe to pass that spot in the surf, FDW responded that the sinking sand patches ‘seem to be along a lot of the shoreline where you need to cross from the back of the beach down to the sea, so unfortunately not in one place’.
‘The whole area is unstable apparently,’ added FDW.
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