Rescue teams save injured hiker on Vlakkenberg Trail

Rescue teams carry an injured hiker down the Vlakkenberg Trail after she slipped and injured her ankle during a hike above Constantia. A coordinated rescue effort involving mountain rescue teams, park officials and a local wine estate helped bring an injured hiker safely off the Vlakkenberg Trail above Constantia after she slipped and injured her ankle during a hike. The 55-year-old visitor from Zimbabwe had been hiking with companions on the trail between Constantiaberg and Constantia Nek on Tuesday when she fell about 30 minutes into the outing, leaving her unable to put weight on her ankle.

Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) teams responded to the call for help, assisted by SANParks staff from Table Mountain National Park. Rescuers accessed the trail via Eagles’ Nest Wines, where the estate’s winemaker guided the team up the mountain. With assistance from the farm manager, rescuers navigated a short off-trail scramble before locating the hiking party.

A Western Cape Government Health and Wellness Emergency Medical Services paramedic assessed and treated the injured woman before she was carefully secured into a rescue stretcher. Teams then began the careful descent along the narrow and winding trail, using a rope system to manage the steeper sections safely. After reaching the start of the trail, the hiker was handed over to a waiting ambulance and transported to hospital for further treatment. The rescue operation concluded at about 3.30pm, with teams returning to Eagles’ Nest Wines to retrieve their vehicles and conduct a debrief after the successful rescue.