A base jumper was found dead on Table Mountain following a multi-agency search and rescue operation, with Wilderness Search And Rescue confirming the recovery and expressing condolences to the deceased’s family. A person who reportedly fell while base-jumping from Table Mountain was found dead on Monday after a multi-agency search and rescue operation, Wilderness Search and Rescue confirmed. Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) teams, alongside several other emergency services, responded to reports of a crashed base jumper on Table Mountain.
After an extensive coordinated search, the individual was located but was confirmed deceased at the scene. The body was extracted by helicopter and handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS). WSAR spokesperson David Nel extended thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and thanked the rescue teams and volunteers involved in what he described as a challenging recovery operation.
“No further details are available at this time,” Nel said. This incident follows a recent string of serious accidents involving aerial sports on Cape Town’s iconic peaks. Just three weeks ago, an Austrian paraglider had to be rescued from Lions Head after crashing into the mountain in hazardous conditions, underscoring the risks that extreme-sports enthusiasts face on the city’s cliffs and slopes.
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That rescue, mounted by local agencies, successfully saved the injured paraglider but highlighted safety concerns around such activities. This came weeks after a fatal paragliding crash on the same mountain in November, which the South African Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (SAHPA) said involved 36-year-old wingsuit pioneer Jean-Jacques “JJ” Wallis. The organisation confirmed he had been flying a high-performance Flare Moustache wing — the second fatal crash involving that model in two years.
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