|
|
|
|
|
14 July 2023
|
Cape Town hiker injured after three-metre fall on Otter Trail, Garden Route
Dedicated teams from Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) in the Garden Route responded to an incident on the Otter Trail after a 54 year-old hiker fell and injured herself on day four of the five-day hike. The Otter Trail, situated in the Tsitsikamma National Park, is a hiking trail along the Garden Route coast and is named after the Cape clawless otter which occurs in this region. This trail is widely regarded as one of the finest in the world and stretches from Storms River mouth in the east to Nature's Valley in the west.
The group of eleven hikers from Cape Town had departed the Oakhurst Hut at 06h00 on Thursday morning, 6 July 2023, intending to cross the Bloukrans River mouth at low tide later in the day.
According to Genie Johnson, “We’d covered about 6km when my walking stick suddenly slipped out from under me. The next thing I slipped and rolled uncontrollably off the edge, tumbling down three metres. A friend in front of me, Achmat Jackson, turned and realised I was no longer on the trail behind him. He found my walking stick and then spotted me lying unconscious below the path. He scrambled down to me and helped me back up to a point where I could sit down”, Johnson said.
Realising that she was injured and unable to continue, a member of the group contacted SafetyMountain Tracking, a WhatsApp-based service that tracks hikers and other mountain users. The call was immediately referred to the emergency call centre (021 937 0300) and handed over to the Garden Route rescue teams.
A small team on board the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness EMS/Air Mercy Service (AMS) rescue helicopter from Oudtshoorn was flown to scene and hoisted down to the patient. She was assessed and treated, before being hoisted up into the helicopter and flown to a nearby landing zone. She was helped to a waiting ambulance and transported to hospital for further treatment.
The incident was concluded at 14h45.
The rest of the hiking group safely complete the five day hike.
Praising those involved in her rescue, Johnson said, “Everyone, the rescuers, the SANParks rangers, the helicopter crew, the ambulance staff, was so professional and so kind. They went out of their way to help me. I was taken to the Knysna Provincial Hospital and the staff were superstars. I was helped almost immediately; they did x-rays and were very thorough about checking up on me throughout my stay. I’m bruised and still quite sore but happy to be back at home”, said Johnson.
A spokesperson for Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR), David Nel, said, “The hiking group did well to look after Eugenia and make her comfortable until the rescuers arrived. Outdoor trails will remain wet and slippery for the foreseeable future, and we urge all outdoor enthusiasts to take care. A big thank you to the passionate teams of rescuers who continue to contribute to wilderness safety in the Western Cape. We wish Genie a speedy recovery”, Nel said.
Photos provided by Theodore Schilder, SANPARKS Rangers, Richard Botha and Genie Johnson
Source: Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR
The group of eleven hikers from Cape Town had departed the Oakhurst Hut at 06h00 on Thursday morning, 6 July 2023, intending to cross the Bloukrans River mouth at low tide later in the day.
According to Genie Johnson, “We’d covered about 6km when my walking stick suddenly slipped out from under me. The next thing I slipped and rolled uncontrollably off the edge, tumbling down three metres. A friend in front of me, Achmat Jackson, turned and realised I was no longer on the trail behind him. He found my walking stick and then spotted me lying unconscious below the path. He scrambled down to me and helped me back up to a point where I could sit down”, Johnson said.
Realising that she was injured and unable to continue, a member of the group contacted SafetyMountain Tracking, a WhatsApp-based service that tracks hikers and other mountain users. The call was immediately referred to the emergency call centre (021 937 0300) and handed over to the Garden Route rescue teams.
A small team on board the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness EMS/Air Mercy Service (AMS) rescue helicopter from Oudtshoorn was flown to scene and hoisted down to the patient. She was assessed and treated, before being hoisted up into the helicopter and flown to a nearby landing zone. She was helped to a waiting ambulance and transported to hospital for further treatment.
The incident was concluded at 14h45.
The rest of the hiking group safely complete the five day hike.
Praising those involved in her rescue, Johnson said, “Everyone, the rescuers, the SANParks rangers, the helicopter crew, the ambulance staff, was so professional and so kind. They went out of their way to help me. I was taken to the Knysna Provincial Hospital and the staff were superstars. I was helped almost immediately; they did x-rays and were very thorough about checking up on me throughout my stay. I’m bruised and still quite sore but happy to be back at home”, said Johnson.
A spokesperson for Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR), David Nel, said, “The hiking group did well to look after Eugenia and make her comfortable until the rescuers arrived. Outdoor trails will remain wet and slippery for the foreseeable future, and we urge all outdoor enthusiasts to take care. A big thank you to the passionate teams of rescuers who continue to contribute to wilderness safety in the Western Cape. We wish Genie a speedy recovery”, Nel said.
Photos provided by Theodore Schilder, SANPARKS Rangers, Richard Botha and Genie Johnson
Source: Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR
