More than 4 000 incidents on Western Cape mountains in four decades
Cape Town - According to the South African Mountain Accidents Database, there have been 4272 incidents since 1980 in the Western Cape.
The data reveals that in 2024, there have been 172 incidents on Western Cape mountains while in 2023 there were 248 incidents, which could be anything from crime, death, injury, exhaustion to exposure, climbing alone or even equipment failure.
These mountain ranges include Lion’s Head; Peninsula; Groot Drakenstein; Du Toits; Hex; Winterhoek/ Witzenberg; Riviersonderend; Langeberg; Cederberg; and others.
But according to Anwaaz Bent, a former member of the Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) and president of The Hikers Network, who has more than three decades of experience of mountain rescue, hiking alone and without proper communication can be dangerous.
The Hikers Network began a Tracking App which is a @SafetyMountain Tracking system which uses WhatsApp-based services for tracking and tracing a hiker, cyclist or runner.
The tracking system is manned by volunteer trackers, many of whom are Search & Rescue volunteers and who are connected to relevant emergency services such as police, SANParks, South African National Parks, Wilderness Search & Rescue; fire services, etc.
“The Safety Mountain Tracking Services should be used. It is widely used by thousands of people a year, we feel more people should get to know of the service as it is free and follows the basic hiking procedures of SANParks,” he said.
“We do encourage people to use the tracking system and to go with hike leaders and guides.
“We send our condolences to the family of Brook Cheuvront.”
Bent said hikers could make use of the following safety measures: “Before you head out, familiarise yourself with the route, terrain, difficulty and expected time required to complete the trail. Buy a map to be sure.
“Don’t hike alone. If something happens to you, there won’t be anyone to call for help.
“Pack a minimum of 2 litres of water, and more when it is hot. In summer: head out early and avoid the midday heat. Pack food.
“Always pack a wind breaker or rain jacket. The weather on the mountain can change rapidly, wear adequate hiking shoes and clothing
“Avoid hiking in or straight after bad weather if you don’t have the right gear. Hypothermia can be fatal, watch the weather and get a proper weather forecast and don’t expect the Cable Car to run (keep an eye on changes here).
“Keep the group together and move at the pace of the slowest member.
“Always carry a cellphone and know the emergency rescue numbers and avoid walking in the dark, but carry a torch just in case you need one.”
Mountain Club of SA-Search and Rescue also shared that their team was constantly training when it came to mountain rescues, especially following maintenance done on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.
Maintenance on the cableway commenced for seven weeks, which saw full cable replacement for the first time since 1997.
In a statement shared, the rescue club said it was vital to be prepared in an emergency situation.
“Training never stops. In the beginning of September 2024, after the recent maintenance shutdown, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company made the cable car and a small complement of skeleton staff available after hours to train one of the procedures we seldom use but which has specifically been developed for Table Mountain,” they said.
“The procedure allows us to evacuate someone off the front face of Table Mountain by hauling them straight into the cable car and taking them down via the cableway.
“This saves time and effort and is a useful evacuation method for incidents directly underneath the cableway where a helicopter cannot operate safely.
“Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness EMS Paramedics and WSAR volunteers participated in the training.”
Weekend Argus also reached out to SANParks for information about how many people who were rescued from Table Mountain for the last year but did not get a response.
American student, Brook Cheuvront’s father, Steve Cheuvront also shared a message via his Facebook page to thank the support from South Africa.
“I would like to thank all the kind notes and well wishes from South Africa. It’s a wonderful surprise. Combined with our friends here the outreach is beautiful,” he wrote.
Earlier this week, police confirmed they were completing an autopsy while her father had revealed to the public that it was an accidental loss of their daughter.
He also informed the public that the family had started an education fund in her memory and honour called: “The Brook Cecilia Cheuvront Memorial Scholarship, benefiting Avery High School Students”.
The 20-year-old sadly lost her life a week ago while hiking along Devil’s Peak in Cape Town.
Brook was a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and had graduated from Avery County High School in 2022 and had joined an internship associated with Morehead-Cain Scholarship through Justice Desk Africa, Ntsika ye Themba programme which focuses on educating young boys on gender-based violence to empowering young boys.