The quick response of an alert paraglider led to the arrest of an alleged mugger, whom he tracked from the skies above Signal Hill on Saturday afternoon.
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Shortly after launching from the popular paragliding spot in Cape Town, pilot and owner of Sky Safari Paragliding, Handré Fouché, heard a very loud scream and took immediate action.
Fouché was doing a tandem flight with a client just above Sea Point when the incident occurred.
Speaking to SA People, the experienced pilot said he knew that someone was in trouble and turned around to determine where the scream had come from.
He searched below the tree line and noticed a couple on the path and a man fleeing in the opposite direction.
While Fouché considered landing on the mountain, he instead opted to continue to descend on the Sea Point Promenade, where he immediately alerted the local police and neighbourhood watch.
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Taking to social media, several locals said that there had been an increase in the number of people living in the mountains, mainly in small tents.
Unconfirmed reports claim that SANParks is in the process of attempting to remove these informal settlements from the popular hiking and tourist attraction.
Meanwhile, Green Point Neighbourhood Watch Chairperson Peter Flentov confirmed the incident, stating in a Facebook post that a suspect fitting Fouché’s description had been arrested.
‘People spot and report crime all the time, but in what might be a first, a paraglider pilot witnessed a mugging on Signal Hill from the air,’ he posted.
‘He headed for the landing zone on the Promenade and promptly called the police to report the incident.’
‘A man matching the description he provided was apprehended and taken to SAPS Sea Point,’ added Flentov.
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Picture: Carlos André Roani / Pexels