Huge, hurtling log kills hiker
2006-04-17 11:43
PLettenberg Bay - A woman member of a hiking group on the picturesque Tsitsikamma trail was killed when a "runaway tree" rolled down an incline and hit her.
Willeen Taljaard, 42, a Worcester accountant, and 11 other hikers were on the second leg of the 60km hiking trail between Nature's Valley and Storms River Bridge when the accident happened.
The police's captain Malcolm Pojie said it seemed to have been a "freak accident".
It is believed that a contractor was felling trees higher up in the forest, above the hiking trail, said Pojie.
"It would seem as if a tree that had just been felled landed on a heap of logs that had just been cut.
"One of the logs became disentangled and started rolling down the incline," he said.
Stefan le Roux, who has been Taljaard's companion for the past 18 years, said the hiking group had covered 13km when they had to leave the forest and hike through a plantation.
They were forced to "climb over trees" on the trail.
Hurtled directly at the group
"We heard a tremendous crash when the huge tree came hurtling down directly at our group.
"We immediately fell flat.
"We saw the tree - which had a sharp point - come to a standstill against Willeen."
The tree hit Willeen under her shoulder blade and arm.
According to police, the accident happened about 14:00 on Thursday.
Le Roux, however, said it was no "freak accident".
"The whole area was unsafe.
"We were afraid more logs might come rolling down the incline.
"This section of the route was closed after the accident.
Le Roux said: "Another hiking group that was behind us, was taken with vehicles around this area."
The area below the hiking trail was also full of logs that had "rolled down" up to a point where they could be loaded on to transport and there was even a crane to do this, said Le Roux.
Stuart Taylor of metro emergency services in the Southern Cape said a private ambulance had been sent to the area because their rescue personnel were already helping a stranded paraglider at Nature's Valley.
A 4x4 vehicle of the Plettenberg Bay fire brigade was used to take Taljaard to the ambulance at a point where the area was accessible to a standard vehicle.
She was pronounced dead after paramedics had tried in vain to resuscitate her.
Pojie said an enquiry would be held to establish if anybody was responsible for the accident.
'Nobody there at the time'
Her body was taken to the state mortuary in Knysna and a post-mortem was to be completed by Thursday.
Dirk Nortjé, area manager of the Mountain to Ocean Forestry Company (MTO), which is in charge of the Tstisikamma hiking route, said he visited the scene of the accident with the police.
"Not a single one of our employees were there at the time of the accident.
"As far as I know, this is the first time that anything like this has happened," he said.
"I went and sympathised with the hikers. I feel extremely bad about the accident."