Injured tourist rescued after 14-hour ordeal in mountain kloof

A Belgian tourist who fell into a kloof in the Western Cape mountains waited nearly 14 hours to be rescued.

The 27-year-old raised the alarm by making a cellphone call to emergency services at 9.15pm on Monday. He was finally extracted from the kloof near Swellendam at 11am on Tuesday.

He was flown to hospital in the Overberg town suffering from suspected fractures‚ hypothermia and head injuries.

Wilderness Search and Rescue spokesman Johan Marais said a team of rescuers and paramedics who headed into the mountains on foot heard the man shouting for help around 1.15am.

Team members were lowered into the kloof on ropes. “After first light the teams in the mountain reported that they had not reached the patient‚” said Marais.

“Early on Tuesday morning the Air Medical Services helicopter stationed at Oudtshoorn flew to the scene to assist with the search.

“By 9.50am the team spotted the patient and soon afterwards the helicopter crew was also able to pinpoint his position. Paramedics were hoisted in with the helicopter and around 11am the patient ... was extracted and flown to the Swellendam hospital for further treatment.”