Hikers are urged not to explore areas alone and take extra precaution when venturing out in harsh terrain. These precautions are necessary following an incident where a man suffered severe injuries, after he lost his footing in a river on a hiking path in Du Toitskloof Pass on Saturday afternoon.
ER24 rescue services were dispatched to the area and hiked for an hour and half to reach the 39-year-old male hiker.
Du Toitskloof Pass is situated between Paarl and Worcester in the Western Cape.
ER24 spokesperson Ineke van Huyssteen said that the hiker had seriously hurt his ankle after he fell.
“Once there, paramedics assessed the man and found that he had sustained serious injuries to his ankle,” van Huyssteen said.
The man was found at the bottom of the pass. Once stabilised and treated, rescuers brought him to the top of the gorge with the use of specialised equipment.
Van Huyssteen said the mission was an extended effort of the rescue team.
“The hike up took almost three hours,” she said. The injured man was transported by ER24 to a nearby hospital for further medical care.
[DU TOITSKLOOF PASS] Man rescued after falling while hiking.https://t.co/lXNrhzak8Q
Thanks to all the services that assisted with the rescue.@SABCNewsOnline @ewnreporter @Netwerk24@News24 pic.twitter.com/2hVdCSP3SY
— ER24 EMS (Pty) Ltd. (@ER24EMS) October 21, 2018
Picture: Twitter