• “Cableway teams go above and beyond,” says WSAR
  • Birthday hike turns into night-time Table Mountain rescue
  • Stranded hiker safely guided off India Venster after sunset

What started as a birthday hike on Table Mountain on Saturday afternoon, reminded us all, of:

The crucial partnership between Wilderness Search And Rescue WSAR Western Cape and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.

“Many people haven’t considered just how different rescue on Table Mountain would look without the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. The ability to move rescuers, medics and technical equipment rapidly onto the mountain saves an enormous amount of time and energy during critical incidents,” said Wilderness Search And Rescue spokesperson, David Nel.

The 22-year-old visiting Chinese hiker became stranded near the Fountain Ledge scramble section of India Venster after being caught out by the earlier winter sunset while celebrating her birthday on the mountain.

Realising she was no longer able to continue safely in the dark, she did exactly the right thing and called for help. With only 5% cell phone battery remaining, she was unfortunately unable to share her exact GPS location. However, using the information she was able to provide, rescuers identified a likely search area and immediately mobilised.

Photo by David Nel

Rescuers and equipment were rapidly ferried toward the summit by the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, whose staff once again extended operations after hours to support the rescue.

While ascending in the cable car, rescuers briefly paused the cabin and called out into the darkness below. To everyone’s relief, the stranded hiker responded, allowing teams to quickly pinpoint her location on the mountain.

Photo by Grant Duncan-Smith

A small team made their way down from the Upper Cableway station, reaching the hiker shortly thereafter. Cold, but fortunately unharmed, she was provided with a warm jacket and head torch before being safely guided back to the upper cable station.

The operation was concluded safely at 21h47.

Praising the ongoing support provided by the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway and its staff, Nel continued, “Time and time again, the cableway teams quietly go above and beyond, often staying long after operational hours, to help rescuers reach people in need.

“The partnership between WSAR and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway has become an incredibly important part of mountain safety on Table Mountain, and we are deeply grateful to both the operational teams and management for their continued support.”

A special thank you as well to the Chinese Consulate in Cape Town for their offer to assist with translation and communication during the incident.

Finally, thank you to all the rescuers and support teams who continue to give their time and energy to help visitors and locals safely enjoy our mountains.

And to our birthday hiker, happy birthday! We hope the rest of your visit is filled with many wonderful (and safe!) adventures.

  • Save and share the correct Emergency Contact Number – 021 937 0300
  • Please support us – https://wsar.org.za/support-us/
  • Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) is a network of government agencies, and civilian volunteer organisations, who partner in search and rescue.