Yesterday, we saw a massive mission to get 75 tourists safely down from Table Mountain in what has been deemed the biggest rescue in 64 years!
Table Mountain, South Africa (25 October 2024) — All boots were on the ground in Cape Town yesterday as part of what has been deemed the biggest Table Mountain rescue effort in 64 years! When 75 tourists found themselves in trouble due to haltered cable car mechanisms, heroes from all across the Cape joined forces to assist.
The chaos kickstarted after a fire sparked near the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway’s lower station. In response, cable operations were halted, which meant many distressed people were ready to get the heck down the mountain.
The 75 tourists had opted to hike down the Platteklip Gorge trail—one known to be challenging. Keep in mind, many in the group were not necessarily experienced hikers, but rather those making use of the cableway facilities.
Soon, the journey downwards became a journey upwards for the WSAR and several other rescue-focused teams to ensure that the tourists got back to base without ending up lost or injured.
With the help of a drone, the group was monitored carefully to ensure that SANParks rangers could leap to assistance when needed.
However, some of the tourists were fighting exhaustion and even injuries.
The effort soon became a fully co-ordinated rescue effort between troops of different groups including the Western Cape’s EMS services, Cape Nature, The Hikers Network, K9 Search and Rescue Association of South Africa, the NSRI, the Mountain Club of SA and Wilderness Search and Rescue among others.
Their efforts made all the difference in ensuring the tourists got down the mountain safely, while an injured Dutch tourist who had hurt her leg was rescued helicopter style.
Thanks to the multi-faceted forces joining, the rescue effort was a success!
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“I’m certain that there are a few tired and weary visitors who saw more of our beautiful mountain than they had anticipated. We wish them all a speedy recovery,” David Nel, WSAR Spokesperson shared.
“We’re proud to respond alongside our peers from the various emergency services and we’re grateful to everyone who contributed to the successful rescue effort.”
Those inspired by the work of these hiker’s heroes can make a difference in the next mission by contributing to life-saving equipment for the WSAR. You can find their crowdfunding campaign here.
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