Cape Town - Members of Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) have retrieved the body of a man who fell about 20 meters down the sheer mountainside of a viewing point along Chapman’s Peak Drive at the weekend.
In a statement, WSAR said they attended to the scene on Sunday afternoon.
“Wilderness Search And Rescue activated an emergency call-out after a man fell from a viewing point on Chapman’s Peak Drive late on Sunday afternoon. The man, believed to be in his 40s, fell at least 20 meters, down the sheer mountainside.
“Various rescue experts from different WSAR member agencies were mobilised and dispatched to the cliff-top. Once on scene, WSAR members set up rescue ropes and abseiled down to the patient’s location and found that he had not survived the fall.
“ The team then assisted SAPS to package the deceased into a stretcher. Team members above had rigged a technical hauling system to help raise the body back up to the road,” WSAR said.
In a separate incident, WSAR teams were activated after two local hikers called for help while hiking on Table Mountain above Camps Bay.
The pair had been hiking from the upper cable station to Kasteelspoort when one of the hikers started to experience cramps.
“Team members quickly hiked up to their location and, once on scene, assessed the patient before slowly guiding both hikers down the mountain. WSAR members drove the pair back to their car.”
WSAR spokesperson, David Nel thanked all members who assisted in the operations, and extended condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
“We would like to thank the Hout Bay Fire and Rescue for their assistance and the use of their equipment.”
The organisation urged wilderness and hiking enthusiasts to save and share their emergency contact number - 021 937 0300 - and share posts of their #IAmWildernessSafe campaign.
Cape Times