Hiking safety: How to stay safe on the trail

A group of students called the Western Cape Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) teams for assistance during their hike on Table Mountain this weekend after a member of their hiking party suffered an injury. The group started its hike earlier on Friday morning from Kloof Nek, ascending diagonally before crossing the mountain headed towards Platteklip Gorge, when a young woman in the group injured her ankle between Echo Valley and the top of Platteklip Gorge. WSAR task teams responded to the emergency call shortly after 4pm as the woman was unable to continue safely.

Rescue teams were deployed, passing through the Constantia Nek jeep track to reach the group, as the Table Mountain aerial cableway was closed for annual maintenance. While rescuers were making their way, the group said that they had decided to carry the hiker themselves and descended via Platteklip Gorge. The group then declined any further assistance and the rescue operation response was turned down.

Just before 11pm, WSAR was alerted to a hiking party in distress while descending Platteklip Gorge, where it was quickly established that it was the same group that had earlier requested assistance. Rescue teams were immediately redeployed with warm clothing, food and water for the exhausted hikers. A Western Cape government health and wellness EMS paramedic assessed and treated the injured hiker before rescuers slowly assisted her down the remainder of the trail to a waiting ambulance.

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She was transported to hospital for further treatment. The rescue operation was concluded at 1.20am on Saturday. Although the incident concluded without further injury, the group’s decision to continue descending the mountain without rescue assistance delayed medical assessment and treatment for the injured hiker. WSAR members said this incident highlights the importance of allowing rescue teams to intervene as early as possible.

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