Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) were activated on Saturday evening, 9 July, after nine hikers called for assistance while hiking Simonsberg Mountain outside Stellenbosch.
The group, aged between 16 and 78, encountered inclement weather conditions and was unable to find their intended route down from the summit.
They called for help once it started to get dark, and a rescue team was deployed. The team located the group close to the summit around 2:20am on Sunday morning.
The team decided to wait in a nearby cave with the group until first light to guide the team back down. A second team also hiked to the group in the early hours of the morning with additional warm clothes and a stove.
By 08:30am it was light enough to start walking and the entire group began making their way down in very poor conditions. But, by 10am, one of the hikers slipped and fell approximately 10 m and sustained injuries, requiring a stretcher for the rest of the journey.
The fallen hiker was finally handed over to a waiting ambulance at 9:30pm before being transported to a hospital.
The WSAR would like to remind all mountain users to pack extra warm clothing, keep an eye on the weather forecasts, plan their adventures accordingly and save this number: 021 937 0300 for emergencies.
Pictures: WSAR
ALSO READ: NASA releases first images of distant galaxies from Webb Telescope
