What began as reports of screams echoing from the mountain quickly became a critical wilderness rescue operation, requiring the coordinated efforts of Wilderness Search and Rescue's volunteer and partner agency teams.
Screams echoing across the slopes of the Helderberg Nature Reserve on Tuesday evening triggered a high-stakes, multi-agency night operation that saved the life of an unconscious local hiker and sparked two simultaneous rescues on Table Mountain.
The severe trauma rescue in Helderberg was the first in a rapid succession of emergency call-outs for Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) volunteer crews, Western Cape Health EMS units, and SANParks rangers on Tuesday night.
Severely chilled and exposed to rapidly dropping night temperatures, the hiker was at immediate risk of severe hypothermia. Additional teams were dispatched to the site, including an emergency doctor who delivered critical care on the mountainside while rescuers worked to actively warm the patient using heating blankets and a sleeping bag.
Once stabilised, the hiker was secured inside a specialised wilderness stretcher and carried down the mountain on foot by teams navigating the dark, rugged trail. He was transferred to an awaiting ambulance and was rushed to the hospital.
