Voelklip, near Herold’s Bay – Photo: Tim Brophy / Flickr
Voelklip, near Herold’s Bay – Photo: Tim Brophy / Flickr
Following another tragedy at Voelklip, the campaign to have to region temporarily closed off has been launched by locals in Herolds Bay. The stunning Western Cape location belies its dark history, and over the weekend, two more victims were discovered. It’s believed that a duo in their seventies committed suicide by plunging over the cliffs.
More than a dozen deaths have been reported here in the past five years – with several cases bearing the same harrowing hallmarks. For Kenneth Field, the chairman of the Herolds Bay Ratepayers Association, the time has come to block access to the infamous Voelklip lookout point – at least until some protective structures can be erected:
“We are going to be put a guard rail around there. I’m discussing with the team today to actually close the road for a short period of time until such time that we’ve got a guard rail up. We have got a plan that we’ve discussed with the municipality and the province to put up a barricade in that particular area where cars do go over.“
“However, there are a number of further areas that have to be closed. If we close off that area, people go to other areas if they want to commit suicide. It is becoming a serious problem.“
Kenneth Field
Voelklip, located to the south-west of the George Municipality in the Western Cape, isn’t necessarily a ‘dangerous’ place – but rather, a handful of individuals are choosing to drive off the cliff and kill themselves. A set of guard rails would be less about ‘safety’, and more about preventing any other possible acts of suicide. The region’s most high-profile cases include: