KNYSNA NEWS - According to National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon, NSRI Knysna were initially alerted about the stranded hikers at around 15:27 on Friday 12 May.
The hikers were cut off by the rain-affected, 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, the hikers reached the Elandsbos River and could not cross due to strong flow.
They turned back, and upon reaching the Lottering River again found that it couldn't be crossed any more either. They were trapped between the two rivers in the Rushes Pass Valley.
Late Friday efforts
There were efforts to reach the group late on Friday afternoon, but these were unsuccessful.
In the interim, various NSRI stations and volunteers along with police and MTO Forestry, as well as Eastern Cape Government Health EMS, began putting together a rescue operation to be carried out on Saturday morning.
On Friday night the hikers had been forewarned to prepare for their pending evacuation that was to begin at first light on Saturday 13 May. During the night NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty controller Laurent Eray remained in contact with the hiking party, contacting them on the hour, advising them of how the rescue operation would unfold.
A joint operations command centre (JOCC) was set up at the MTO Lottering Forestry Station on Saturday morning, from which the operation was controlled and managed.
Getting up in the air
The helicopter, piloted by Greg Johnson and carrying NSRI Plettenberg Bay rescue swimmer Nathan Hart, EMS rescue paramedic Jaco Kotzé and Plettenberg Bay First Responders medic James Stewart, took to the air on Saturday morning to reach the rescue zone.
They located a landing zone among the fynbos about 800 meters from the hikers. After landing, 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.
Making their way to safety
Hart and Kotzé found a rope that was already tied across the Lottering River. After inspecting it for safety and tightening it, they aided the hikers across the river through chest-deep swift-flowing water.
They were brought to the Keurbos Hut where they further warmed up before hiking about another 800m to the helicopter landing zone.
From there they were airlifted aboard the helicopter in three relays to the JOCC at the Lottering Forestry Station.
Said Van der Merwe, "The helicopter added a bit of further enjoyment to the drama." For some of those airlifted to safety, it was the first time they had flown in a helicopter.
"We were lucky to have the helicopter available, which shortened the rescue operation considerably."
An EMS ambulance had been dispatched and was waiting at the JOCC where the paramedics further assessed the hikers as they were dropped off. They were found to be "in good spirits and in good health". Finally they were driven to Nature's Valley, where they had started their hike, bringing an end to their ordeal.
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