Rescue volunteers save hikers from perilous fall on Devil’s Peak
WSAR teams were called into action on Friday night after two hikers became stranded on cliffs above the contour path on Devil’s Peak, part of the Table Mountain range.
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With cold and wet weather hitting Cape Town over the weekend, Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) was called into action on Friday night to assist two hikers stranded on cliffs above the contour path of Devil’s Peak, part of the Table Mountain range.
WSAR teams were called into action on Friday night after two hikers became stranded on cliffs above the contour path on Devil’s Peak, part of the Table Mountain range.
WSAR spokesperson David Nel said the pair, aged 22 and 20, had set out from Rhodes Memorial at approximately 1 pm, intending to ascend First Waterfall Ravine, a steep and challenging route that climbs from the eastern slopes of the mountain toward the plateau.
“At some point during their ascent, the hikers decided to abandon their attempt. Instead of retreating the way they had come, they attempted to traverse out of the ravine onto the neighbouring buttress, before trying to down-climb a sheer cliff face, a decision that quickly placed them in extreme danger,” Nel said.
He said that with no safe route up or down and exposed to a potentially fatal fall, they contacted the emergency number (021 937 0300) requesting urgent assistance.
He added that rescue teams, including Metro EMS, High Angle Rescue, Delta SAR, TrailSAR and a dozen MSAR rescue volunteers, were rapidly mobilised.
A technical rescuer and rock climber from the Mountain Club of SA - Search and Rescue, Brent Russell, said: “When we arrived, the situation was desperate. It looked like the male hiker was minutes from falling; he looked unstable and was already shaking.
“The rock face is made up of mud shale, a soft, brittle material that breaks easily and does not allow for safe anchor placement. It makes technical climbing and rescue extremely challenging.”
In a carefully coordinated technical operation, a rescue climber was able to climb above and abseil down to the stranded male hiker, where he was swiftly secured into a harness and assisted down the remainder of the cliff to safety.
“The rescuer then climbed back up the rope and repeated the process for the female hiker, safely bringing her down from the ledge. Rescuers reported that the male hiker was unstable after standing in place on the small ledge for nearly four hours, and both individuals were cold following their prolonged exposure on the cliff.
Nel said that the incident was concluded at 10:37 pm, with everyone safely off the mountain. The hikers sustained no injuries.
“This incident underscores the serious risks of taking shortcuts, making route-finding errors, and attempting to descend unfamiliar or exposed terrain. First Waterfall Ravine is not a casual hiking route. It requires experience, careful route selection, and a willingness to turn back early,” he said.
This follows an incident from last weekend, in which a student was lucky to survive a freezing 12-hour ordeal after being rescued from a Du Toits Kloof valley hiking trail, where he was trapped by a river in flood.