Lost in Snowy Drakensberg: Hiker Found Alive After Freezing Night in the Mountains
- A hiker disappeared in the Garden Castle Nature Reserve during dangerous winter conditions, triggering an urgent overnight search
- Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife deployed conservation teams and mountain rescue volunteers, including a helicopter, to comb the freezing mountains
- The man was discovered near Rhino Peak after spending the night exposed to snow and bitter cold in one of SA's most rugged ranges
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KWAZULU- NATAL - A hiker has been found alive in the southern Drakensberg after vanishing in the mountains during one of the region's most brutal winter spells. The man went missing on Monday while hiking through the Garden Castle Nature Reserve, setting off an urgent overnight search operation in freezing conditions.
According to ECR, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife mobilised conservation teams on Monday evening after the alarm was raised. Those teams worked through the night in snow and sub-zero temperatures, searching for any sign of the missing man. Mountain rescue volunteers were also contacted and arrived with a helicopter to widen the search.
A race against the clock in the mountains
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesperson Musa Mntambo described the conditions rescuers faced as they combed the range throughout the night.
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"We sent our teams on Monday evening. They searched throughout the night and also contacted mountain rescue who sent their club with one helicopter to look for him," Mntambo said.
The search paid off on Tuesday when rescuers located the hiker near Rhino Peak. He was alive, but the cold had taken a toll. He was transported to hospital immediately for treatment.
"He was found still alive and cold in the Drakensberg mountain and was taken to hospital," Mntambo confirmed.
Hiker recovering after ordeal
Doctors treating the man have since given a cautiously positive update. Though visibly weakened by his night in the mountains, he is expected to make a full recovery.
He is currently in hospital. The doctors have told us that he is doing well, and he is still weak and wobbly but he will survive.
Hiker rescued after surviving a 40 m fall
In related news, a 60-year-old hiker has been airlifted to hospital after surviving a 40-metre fall along the Second Waterfall hiking trail in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, following a complex multi-agency rescue operation involving rope teams, paramedics and an air ambulance.The incident took place on Thursday morning, 18 June, when the man was hiking with a group on one of the reserve’s most popular but technically demanding trails.
UK tourist rescued from heavy rains in Limpopo
Briefly News also reported that a foreign woman in South Africa, enjoying a safari, got caught in the floods in Limpopo. The lady was exploring South Africa's wild when she became stranded because of the heavy rain. The tourist shared a video about her stay and the frightening ordeal. She calmly pointed out that they needed a way out. Sometime later, the tourist explained that they managed to secure an air lift to get to the nearest airport. They were whisked away to safety by helicopter.
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Source: Briefly News
