3 hurt after Table Mountain falls

2007-08-27 08:54

Carryn-Ann Nel

Cape Town - While thousands of visitors streamed to Table Mountain to enjoy the sunshine at the weekend, three people were in stable condition in a Cape Town hospital after falling in the Peninsula.

According to Hugo Vaughan, service manager of the Wilderness Search and Rescue, these accidents were apparently caused by slippery rocks.

In the first incident, an American woman in her fifties slipped behind a waterfall at the Platteklip ravine at about 11:20. She fell about 15m and injured her head, back and arms.

A group of young student paramedics doing a two-day course assisted before other medics took the woman away on a stretcher. She is being treated in Groote Schuur Hospital.

A few hours later, a man who was taking part in the 80km Puffer Ultramarathon, fell on the left side of the cable station. He had head and back injuries.

At about 17:00, another woman suffered back injuries after rolling about five metres at the Blackburn ravine above the tollgate to Chapman's Peak.

Rescue workers battled until 21:00 on Saturday to bring her to safety.

Vaughan said it was usually safer on warm days, but the rain that fell during the past few weeks had made the rocks more slippery.

"Saturday's incidents were mere accidents. The persons didn't necessarily do anything wrong on the routes. It might simply have been slippery."

Phumeza Mxashe, spokesperson for Table Mountain National Park, called on hikers to be careful at all times.

"Table Mountain is not an 'easy' mountain and people must tread carefully. I want to encourage people to follow routes they know, and to ask if they don't know where to go."

- Die Burger