Fire and Rescue International
  • Home
  • Magazines
    • Featured Article
    • FRI Magazine
    • DMJ Magazine
  • Newsletters
    • 23 May 2025
    • 16 May 2025
    • 9 May 2025
    • 2 May 2025
    • 25 April 2025
    • 11 April 2025
    • 4 April 2025
    • 21 March 2025
    • 14 March 2025
    • 7 March 2025
    • 28 February 2025
    • 14 February 2025
    • 7 February 2025
    • 31 January 2025
    • 24 January 2025
    • 17 January 2025
    • 10 January 2025
    • 20 December 2024
    • 13 December 2024
    • 6 December 2024
  • Advertising
    • Fire and Rescue International
    • Disaster Management
    • FRI Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Articles
  • Galleries
    • DMISA 2024
    • NMU Fire Symposium 2024
    • ETS 2024 Gallery
    • WFFG Denmark 2024
    • TFA 2024 Gallery
    • Electra Mining 2024
    • Drager Challenge 2024
    • AOSH Firexpo 2024
    • Midvaal Fit to Fight Fire 2024
    • WoF KNP 2023 Gallery
    • TFA 2023 Gallery
    • DMISA Conference 2023
    • ETS 2023 Gallery
      • ETS 2023 Main Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Second Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Third Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Marching
      • ETS 2023 Exhibitors Demonstrations
      • ETS 2023 Prize Giving
      • ETS 2023 Team Photos
      • ETS 2023 General Photos
    • Drager Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge 2023
      • Presentation
      • Tower Challenge
      • Mobile Training Challenge
      • Fitness Challenge
      • General
      • Group
      • Prize Giving
    • AOSH Firexpo 2023
    • Midvaal Fit to Fight Fire
      • Midvaal Challenge
      • Midvaal General Photos
      • Midvaal Team Photos
      • Midvaal Prize Giving
    • WC IFFD 2023
    • NMU 13th Fire Management Symposium 2022
    • JOIFF Africa Conference 2022
    • ETS 2022 Gallery
      • ETS 2022 Main Scenario
      • ETS 2022 Fire Fighter Challenge
      • ETS 2022 Skills Event
      • ETS 2022 Exhibitors/demonstrations
      • ETS 2022 Team Photos
      • ETS 2022 General Photos
      • ETS 2022 Awards Ceremony
    • TFA 2022 Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Main Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Group Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Mini TFA
      • TFA 2022 Awards Gallery
    • IFFD 2018
      • Western Cape
    • SAESI
    • TFA
      • TFA 2018
      • TFA 2019
        • TFA 2019 Start
        • TFA 2019 Stage 1
        • TFA 2019 Stage 2
        • TFA 2019 Stage 3
        • TFA 2019 Awards
        • TFA 2019 General
        • TFA 2019 Group
    • WRC 2018
    • WRC 2019
    • A-OSH/Securex
    • IFE AGM 2019
    • ETS Ind Fire Comp Nov 2019
    • ETS Challenge 2021
    • Drager launch
    • Drager Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge 2022
  • TFA
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Magazines
    • Featured Article
    • FRI Magazine
    • DMJ Magazine
  • Newsletters
    • 23 May 2025
    • 16 May 2025
    • 9 May 2025
    • 2 May 2025
    • 25 April 2025
    • 11 April 2025
    • 4 April 2025
    • 21 March 2025
    • 14 March 2025
    • 7 March 2025
    • 28 February 2025
    • 14 February 2025
    • 7 February 2025
    • 31 January 2025
    • 24 January 2025
    • 17 January 2025
    • 10 January 2025
    • 20 December 2024
    • 13 December 2024
    • 6 December 2024
  • Advertising
    • Fire and Rescue International
    • Disaster Management
    • FRI Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Articles
  • Galleries
    • DMISA 2024
    • NMU Fire Symposium 2024
    • ETS 2024 Gallery
    • WFFG Denmark 2024
    • TFA 2024 Gallery
    • Electra Mining 2024
    • Drager Challenge 2024
    • AOSH Firexpo 2024
    • Midvaal Fit to Fight Fire 2024
    • WoF KNP 2023 Gallery
    • TFA 2023 Gallery
    • DMISA Conference 2023
    • ETS 2023 Gallery
      • ETS 2023 Main Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Second Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Third Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Marching
      • ETS 2023 Exhibitors Demonstrations
      • ETS 2023 Prize Giving
      • ETS 2023 Team Photos
      • ETS 2023 General Photos
    • Drager Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge 2023
      • Presentation
      • Tower Challenge
      • Mobile Training Challenge
      • Fitness Challenge
      • General
      • Group
      • Prize Giving
    • AOSH Firexpo 2023
    • Midvaal Fit to Fight Fire
      • Midvaal Challenge
      • Midvaal General Photos
      • Midvaal Team Photos
      • Midvaal Prize Giving
    • WC IFFD 2023
    • NMU 13th Fire Management Symposium 2022
    • JOIFF Africa Conference 2022
    • ETS 2022 Gallery
      • ETS 2022 Main Scenario
      • ETS 2022 Fire Fighter Challenge
      • ETS 2022 Skills Event
      • ETS 2022 Exhibitors/demonstrations
      • ETS 2022 Team Photos
      • ETS 2022 General Photos
      • ETS 2022 Awards Ceremony
    • TFA 2022 Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Main Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Group Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Mini TFA
      • TFA 2022 Awards Gallery
    • IFFD 2018
      • Western Cape
    • SAESI
    • TFA
      • TFA 2018
      • TFA 2019
        • TFA 2019 Start
        • TFA 2019 Stage 1
        • TFA 2019 Stage 2
        • TFA 2019 Stage 3
        • TFA 2019 Awards
        • TFA 2019 General
        • TFA 2019 Group
    • WRC 2018
    • WRC 2019
    • A-OSH/Securex
    • IFE AGM 2019
    • ETS Ind Fire Comp Nov 2019
    • ETS Challenge 2021
    • Drager launch
    • Drager Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge 2022
  • TFA
  • Contact
Search

Proudly serving those who serve

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

30 June 2023
Back to newsletter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Hiker rescued from Emgwenya (Waterval Boven) valley in nine-hour mission, Mpumalanga

Picture
Picture
​A hiker with a fractured ankle was extricated from the Emgwenya (Waterval Boven) valley in Mpumalanga, by local rescue teams in an operation that lasted for nine hours overnight. The Bulgarian-born Valeri Petrov, who lives in Johannesburg, had been on a hiking trip with seven other people in the Emgwenya Valley on Saturday afternoon, 17 June 2023, when he fell and fractured his ankle while trying to cross a stream at about 14h05. Nine Search and Rescue South Africa Lowveld (SARZA) members and six ER24 paramedics came to his assistance.
 
With a severely fractured ankle, no cell phone signal and stuck in the rough terrain of the Emgwenya valley, a 62-year-old hiker has said he is extremely grateful to the local men and women who had launched a nine-hour rescue mission to save him.
 
Petrov, who is now recovering in a Johannesburg hospital following his gruelling ordeal, said he is incredibly thankful to the nine SARZA members, six ER24 paramedics and his hiking companions for extricating him from a potentially very dangerous situation.
 
He said after his fall, his fellow hikers had to navigate the trail out of the valley and managed to call for help at about 16h30.
SARZA Lowveld’s Andrew Geldenhuys said he had received a call from Mountain Search and Rescue in Gauteng to help Petrov and immediately gathered his team together and called ER24 to assist in the extrication.
 
Geldenhuys said Petrov had fallen down just 3km along the trail but due to the rough and steep terrain, the 80kg worth of equipment carried by the rescuers and the moonless night, it took them two hours to reach the injured man.
 
ER24’s spokesperson, Russel Meiring, said once the rescue team had found Petrov, they assessed his injuries and concluded he might have a fractured ankle. ”The call was made to immobilise the patient and walk him out in a Stokes basket with his lower leg in a splint and a vacuum mattress to keep his body from moving too much,” said Meiring.
 
He said using rope pulleys and some serious manoeuvring, the team managed to bring Petrov down from the mountain by 03h00 on Sunday morning.
 
Geldenhuys said that added to the already difficult conditions, it was also a particularly cold night. The temperature dipped to four degrees Celsius and the team had to make between four to five water crossings to get Petrov to safety. ”It was an intense rescue,” he said.
 
Petrov said he can never thank his rescue team enough. ”They did a fantastic job. It was really tricky terrain but they managed and they kept me safe. This team were very fit, and I felt I was in good hands during the entire rescue,” he said.
 
Petrov said he was a hiking enthusiast and had travelled to Mpumalanga to hike some trails before, including the Emgwenya trail about two years ago. He said it was a beautiful place and that the incident would not stop him from hiking again once he had fully recovered.
 
He said he was initially taken to Mediclinic Nelspruit but wanted to be moved to a hospital in Johannesburg.
 
He also thanked his companions, Slavena, Dimitrina, Zita, Tsetse, Serena, Annemarie and Chris. He said he does not know their surnames. Petrov said Slavena is a practising nurse and both Serena and Dimitrina are former nurses. He said they had all attended to him immediately when he fell. He said Annemarie had been the driving force in calling for help.
 
Source: The Lowvelder

Back to newsletter​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Quick navigation

  • Home
  • FRI magazine
  • DMJ magazine
  • Articles
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Social

Who are we?

FRI Media (Pty) Ltd is an independent publisher of technical magazines including the well-read and respected Fire and Rescue International, its weekly FRI Newsletter and the Disaster Management Journal. We also offer a complete marketing and publishing package, which include design, printing and corporate wear and gifts.

Weekly FRI Newsletter

Subscribe to the newsletter free of charge!
© Copyright 2025 Fire and Rescue International. All Rights Reserved.
  • Home
  • Magazines
    • Featured Article
    • FRI Magazine
    • DMJ Magazine
  • Newsletters
    • 23 May 2025
    • 16 May 2025
    • 9 May 2025
    • 2 May 2025
    • 25 April 2025
    • 11 April 2025
    • 4 April 2025
    • 21 March 2025
    • 14 March 2025
    • 7 March 2025
    • 28 February 2025
    • 14 February 2025
    • 7 February 2025
    • 31 January 2025
    • 24 January 2025
    • 17 January 2025
    • 10 January 2025
    • 20 December 2024
    • 13 December 2024
    • 6 December 2024
  • Advertising
    • Fire and Rescue International
    • Disaster Management
    • FRI Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Articles
  • Galleries
    • DMISA 2024
    • NMU Fire Symposium 2024
    • ETS 2024 Gallery
    • WFFG Denmark 2024
    • TFA 2024 Gallery
    • Electra Mining 2024
    • Drager Challenge 2024
    • AOSH Firexpo 2024
    • Midvaal Fit to Fight Fire 2024
    • WoF KNP 2023 Gallery
    • TFA 2023 Gallery
    • DMISA Conference 2023
    • ETS 2023 Gallery
      • ETS 2023 Main Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Second Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Third Scenario
      • ETS 2023 Marching
      • ETS 2023 Exhibitors Demonstrations
      • ETS 2023 Prize Giving
      • ETS 2023 Team Photos
      • ETS 2023 General Photos
    • Drager Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge 2023
      • Presentation
      • Tower Challenge
      • Mobile Training Challenge
      • Fitness Challenge
      • General
      • Group
      • Prize Giving
    • AOSH Firexpo 2023
    • Midvaal Fit to Fight Fire
      • Midvaal Challenge
      • Midvaal General Photos
      • Midvaal Team Photos
      • Midvaal Prize Giving
    • WC IFFD 2023
    • NMU 13th Fire Management Symposium 2022
    • JOIFF Africa Conference 2022
    • ETS 2022 Gallery
      • ETS 2022 Main Scenario
      • ETS 2022 Fire Fighter Challenge
      • ETS 2022 Skills Event
      • ETS 2022 Exhibitors/demonstrations
      • ETS 2022 Team Photos
      • ETS 2022 General Photos
      • ETS 2022 Awards Ceremony
    • TFA 2022 Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Main Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Group Gallery
      • TFA 2022 Mini TFA
      • TFA 2022 Awards Gallery
    • IFFD 2018
      • Western Cape
    • SAESI
    • TFA
      • TFA 2018
      • TFA 2019
        • TFA 2019 Start
        • TFA 2019 Stage 1
        • TFA 2019 Stage 2
        • TFA 2019 Stage 3
        • TFA 2019 Awards
        • TFA 2019 General
        • TFA 2019 Group
    • WRC 2018
    • WRC 2019
    • A-OSH/Securex
    • IFE AGM 2019
    • ETS Ind Fire Comp Nov 2019
    • ETS Challenge 2021
    • Drager launch
    • Drager Fire Combat and Rescue Challenge 2022
  • TFA
  • Contact