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Two die in freezing weather
03/05/2008 19:20 - (SA)
Bloemfontein - Two people have died after a church group had to spend a night out in the cold at the top of Mount-Aux-Sources in the Drakensberg near Witsieshoed in Qwaqwa, Free State police said on Saturday.
Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said the group left for Mount-Aux-Sources on May 1 for a prayer session in the mountain.
He said four people were still being treated at the Mofumahadi Manapo Regional Hospital in Phuthaditjhaba on Saturday.
It was suspected that the group consisted of nine members of the Universal Church in Phuthaditjhaba.
"The group of young men and women aged between 17 and 22, including their pastor, left home to the mountains with the aim to pray but things went wrong," said Mophiring.
He said the group arrived at the foot of the mountain at the car park at approximately 17:30 on May 1.
The security guard allegedly allowed the group entry to the area thinking that they would not climb up onto the escarpment on top of the mountain past the chain ladders.
Nevertheless, police suspect that the group climbed to the peak of the mountain.
Mophiring said the group allegedly returned during the night "freezing to death" and although they tried to find shelter along the road the weather was too cold.
"They slept on the mountains that night and allegedly passed the security guard who was in his office at the gate," said Mophiring.
Police said two members of the group rushed to a nearby hotel in the morning to get help.
Mophiring said an ambulance eventually arrived at the hotel and took the group to the Mofumahadi Manapo Regional Hospital for medical treatment.
"Two members from the group did not respond well and they were put into ICU in the hospital to check if they could recover," he said.
Mophiring said it was not clear when the two people died, after arriving at the hospital or before.
He said the hospital managed to save the lives of the other seven people.
Mophiring said a young pastor, who was with the group, was not admitted to hospital as he went to church to report the incident.
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