Hiker rescued after drug-related collapse near Cecilia Forest waterfall

A 20-year-old hiker had to be helped off the mountain on Saturday after collapsing near the Cecilia Forest waterfall during what officials say was a drug-altered outing.

Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) teams were dispatched after a passerby called the emergency number to report an unconscious and unresponsive young man lying on the trail on Saturday morning.

Rescuers found the hiker on the ground, his adventure having “taken an unexpectedly horizontal turn” during an outing with a friend. It soon emerged that the pair had attempted to “chemically enhance their trip”, a choice that quickly backfired.

According to WSAR, the effects of the substances were “less enhancing” and more along the lines of “please lie down before gravity makes that choice for you”.

Western Cape Government Health and Wellness EMS paramedics assessed the hiker and determined the scene looked more dramatic than the medical situation itself. Once stable, he was helped to his feet and carefully guided down the trail to a waiting ambulance — a process WSAR wryly compared to “coaxing a stubborn donkey”.

The operation concluded at 12:05pm.

WSAR thanked the passerby who raised the alarm and commended rescue teams who “dropped everything” to respond.

The organisation repeated its warning that using drugs or alcohol while hiking is extremely dangerous and can severely impair judgment, coordination and reaction time — especially in remote or technical terrain.

“The mountains demand respect — keep your outings sober,” WSAR cautioned.

Wilderness Search and Rescue is a network of government agencies and civilian volunteers that partner on search-and-rescue operations.

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Cape Argus