Heavy rains over the weekend made for a busy weekend for Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) when a group of hikers needed to be saved from a river gorge in the Western Cape.
Also read: WSAR responds to four hiking incidents in a single weekend
The hikers had started their hike on Sunday, 19 March, on the Witels hike, a favourite wilderness ‘kloofing’ hike-and-swim between Worcester and Ceres where hikers swim, wade and hike down the canyon and exit below Michell’s Pass.
According to their plans, they were due to exit the canyon on Thursday.
However, after torrential downpours, the group alerted family members via satellite phone that the river level had risen dramatically and that they were running low on food.
Two friends of the trapped hikers then attempted to assist by swimming across the Breede River, below Michell’s Pass, to attempt to access the group and bring them food.
WSAR received a call for assistance on Saturday afternoon, and a multi-disciplinary team of 22 rescuers was dispatched to locate and rescue the stranded hikers.
On Saturday evening, as darkness fell, the team was prevented from entering the kloof by the raging waters exiting the Witels River.
At first light on Sunday morning, a group of more than 30 rescuers readied themselves before a small team was flown into the kloof to locate the stranded group of hikers.
At the same time, SAPS WPDS and SAPS K9 SAR located and safely brought the two hikers back across the swollen Breede River in inflatable crafts.
The team on board the Western Cape Department of Health EMS/Air Mercy Service (AMS) rescue helicopter located the group of eight hikers, and rescuers were hoisted down to the hikers.
All eight hikers and their equipment were hoisted up into the helicopter and flown to a landing zone at the Winterberg Mountain Inn.
‘We would like to say a big thank you to the Winterberg Mountain Inn for hosting and looking after our team members,’ said WSAR spokesperson David Nel. ‘We would also like to thank the Witzenberg Guest Farm for kindly providing accommodation for rescuers on Saturday evening.’
‘These partners rallied to our assistance – a valuable team effort.’
Members of the public are reminded to save and memorise the WSAR Emergency Contact Number, 021 937 0300.
Also read:
Two bodies recovered in four incidents over busy weekend for WSAR