Hiker rescued after being trapped for 17 hours in Cederberg

Posted by Jordyn Johnson on 30 December 2022

A hiker was rescued in the Cederberg after being trapped in a cliffside chimney for more than 17 hours.

On Tuesday, 28 December, two male hikers got lost while hiking near Nuwerust Farm in the Cederberg. They decided to descend the peak that they were on, climbing down narrow ‘chimneys.’

A chimney is a hiking term for narrow chutes and cracks.

One of the hikers found himself lodged in one of the chimneys so tightly that he was unable to breathe properly.

hiker rescued cederberg

Picture: Ryan Byrne – Unsplash

The Wilderness Search and Rescue (WSAR) said that ‘after a sleepless night constricted in the narrow chimney, the men were able to flag down passing rock climbers who alerted the local emergency services.’

Air Mercy Services rescue helicopter transported the WSAR team to the sight. ‘Once on the scene, the rescue team had to abseil down to the hikers. The team then assessed the hiker lodged in the chimney, before building a technical rope system to assist them in freeing the stuck hiker.’

One of the rescuers said that ‘the man was just able to stand on his toes in the bottom of the chimney, but his chest was constricted to the point where he was only able to draw small breaths.’

After being stuck in the mountain chimney for 17 hours, the hiker and his friend were flown to safety and a medical team was waiting to assess them further.

WSAR urges hikers to always prioritise safety when out on the trails.

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