GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - A group of 14 hikers, of which 12 are university students, was rescued from the Tsitsikamma Hiking Trail on Saturday morning, 13 May, a day after they had embarked on their hike.
They had become trapped between two heavy-flowing rivers on Friday afternoon, and were rescued the following day following an extensive rescue operation that involved as many as six different rescue agencies. All the hikers returned unharmed.
According to NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon, NSRI Knysna was initially alerted by the parent of a hiker at around 15:27 on Friday.
The parent reported that 14 hikers were cut off by the heavy-flowing Lottering River, on the Tsiskamma Hiking Trail, on the north-eastern side of the Bloukrans River. NSRI Knysna subsequently alerted NSRI Oyster Bay and NSRI Storms River duty crews.
After crossing the Lottering River on Friday morning, they reached the Elandsbos River and were unable to cross due to strong flow. They turned back, but when they reached the Lottering River again, it was also impassible and they found themselves trapped between the two rivers in the Rushes Pass Valley.
"MTO (Mountains to Sea) Forestry had also received information of the hiking party trapped between the two rivers on Friday afternoon. Plettenberg Bay First Responders and NSRI Plettenberg Bay had been alerted," Lambinon said.
Efforts made to reach the group late on Friday afternoon were unsuccessful. In the interim, various NSRI stations and volunteers, along with police, MTO Forestry and Eastern Cape Government Health EMS, began putting together a rescue operation to be carried out on Saturday morning.
"During the night NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty controller Laurent Eray remained in contact with the casualty hiking party advising them of the rescue operation in the planning stages. The hikers, who were well equipped, were informed to remain where they were, between the Lottering and Elandsbos rivers, and stay warm," Lambinon said.
A joint operations command centre (JOCC) was set up at the MTO Lottering Forestry Station on Saturday morning. Four different NSRI stations, MTO, SANParks, Eastern Cape EMS, police and their dive unit, Plettenberg Bay First Responders and a Savannah Helicopters Squirrel helicopter (an MTO resource from George) reached the JOCC early on Saturday.
After locating a landing zone among fynbos about 800 meters from the hikers, the helicopter landed and the rescuers hiked to reach the group.
"An EMS rescue paramedic and an NSRI rescue swimmer medically assessed the hikers - three were treated for mild smoke inhalation that they had suffered from smoke from the fire that they had huddled near to during the night, but all were in good spirits," Lambinon said.
The rescuers found a rope already tied across the Lottering River, which they inspected for safety and tightened before using it to aid the hikers across the river.
The group was brought to the Keurbos Hut where they further warmed up before hiking about another 800m to the helicopter landing zone. They were airlifted to the JOCC In three relays.
"An EMS ambulance had been dispatched and was stationed at the JOCC where EMS paramedics further medically assessed the hikers, as they were landed by the helicopter, finding them all to be in good spirits and in good health," Lambinon said. They were then driven to Nature's Valley which was where they had started their hike.
Lambinon commended all the rescue for their close co-operation and team work during the rescue evacuation operation."
Read the full story about the rescue operation along with word from the hikers in this week’s edition of the Knysna-Plett Herald.
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