A group of hikers were rescued by a drone. Image: Arrive Alive
Group of hikers rescued by a drone
A group of hikers were rescued by a drone and guided safely away from a cliff and onto the path via cell phone while the drone monitored them
A group of hikers were rescued by a drone. Image: Arrive Alive
Teams from Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR), made up of professionals and volunteers, responded to a call to assist two hikers who were stranded while descending Porcupine Ravine on Thursday afternoon, 6 April.
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Hikers call for help
The hikers, who were new to the activity, began their hike at 7:30 from Constantia Neck and followed the trail past the dams on the back of Table Mountain.
They continued their hike into the Valley of the Red Gods and started their descent down Porcupine Ravine, which is generally considered a challenging hiking route alongside the Porcupine Buttress.
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After struggling to follow the unfamiliar trail, the hikers decided to call for help, and WSAR teams were dispatched to the start of the trail shortly after 14:00.
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A drone from the Western Cape Government – Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Drone Unit quickly located the pair, and WSAR’s on-scene rescue coordinator, Hugo Vaughan, guided them away from the cliff and onto the path via cell phone while the drone monitored them in real-time.
First time a drone is used
Vaughan stated that this was the first time a drone had been used to guide hikers back to a trail and out of harm’s way, demonstrating the diverse and valuable use of technology. The hikers were safely guided down the rest of the trail by a WSAR rescue team.
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WSAR spokesperson David Nel applauded the hikers for calling for help when they felt unsafe and encouraged others to take advantage of the beautiful wilderness spaces while being aware of the group of dedicated individuals always willing to rush to their aid if needed.
He also recommended that anyone venturing out for the first time should consider joining a hiking group to benefit from valuable information sharing.
