Cape Town – A 16-year-old boy from Cape Town has died after falling from a cliff while hiking at Nature’s Valley in the Garden Route National Park, prompting a multi-agency rescue and recovery operation on Thursday.
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Plettenberg Bay deputy station commander Ross Badenhorst said the alarm was raised shortly before midday.
“At 10h47 on Thursday, 18 December, NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were activated following eyewitness reports of a male fallen from a cliff at Nature’s Valley – Bull Se Baai,” Badenhorst said.
NSRI crews responded by road, while the South African Police Service (SAPS) was alerted. ER24 ambulance services, Western Cape Government Health EMS, the EMS/AMS Skymed rescue helicopter and Police Water Policing and Diving Services were also placed on alert.
Two NSRI rescue craft – The Courtenay’s Rescuer and Rescue Ray – were launched, and a nearby private boat, carrying NSRI crew, also responded to the scene.
On arrival, rescuers began searching for the teenager, who had reportedly fallen from a height into the sea and was missing.
During the operation, an NSRI JetRIB was able to enter the mouth of a coastal cave.
“An NSRI rescue swimmer was deployed from the rescue craft into the water to investigate inside Ouma and Oupa caves,” Badenhorst said, noting that the search took place “in a rising tide, with waves washing into the cave.”
The teenager was located inside the cave but was unresponsive.
“Additional NSRI rescue swimmers and an NSRI doctor were deployed,” Badenhorst said. “Despite increasing wave surges, they secured the teenager into a floating stretcher and recovered him onto the NSRI rescue craft. Sadly, he was deceased.”
The body was transported to the NSRI Plettenberg Bay Station 14 rescue base and handed over to SAPS and Government Health Forensic Pathology Services.
Police have opened an inquest docket to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“Condolences are conveyed to the family and friends of the deceased teenager,” Badenhorst said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
